Paddock Valley Dam is a dam in

Washington County, Idaho Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population was 10,198. The county seat and largest city is Weiser, with over half of the county's population. The county was established in 1879 when Idaho w ...

. This

earthen dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...

was constructed in 1949 by the local Little Willow Irrigation District, with a height of and a length of long at its crest.Stanford University Dam Directory: Details
It impounds Little Willow Creek for

flood control Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...

and

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...

water storage, owned and operated by the local district. The reservoir it creates, Paddock Valley Reservoir, has a normal surface area of and maximum capacity of . Recreation includes fishing for

Yellow Bullhead The yellow bullhead (''Ameiurus natalis'') is a species of bullhead catfish, a ray-finned fish that lacks scales. Description The yellow bullhead is a medium-sized member of the catfish family. It is typically yellow-olive to slate black on the ...

Crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

Largemouth Bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus salmoides'') is a carnivorous freshwater gamefish in the Centrarchidae ( sunfish) family, a species of black bass native to the eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada and northern Mexico, but ...

, Smallmouth Bass,

Bluegill The bluegill (''Lepomis macrochirus''), sometimes referred to as "bream", "brim", "sunny", or "copper nose" as is common in Texas, is a species of North American freshwater fish, native to and commonly found in streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and ...

, and Punkinseed Sunfish. In 2008 the site was the tentative location of a nuclear power plant planned by MidAmerican Nuclear Energy, which was deemed not cost-effective.Casper Star Tribune:"Company drops nuke plant"
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References

{{authority control Dams in Idaho Reservoirs in Idaho United States local public utility dams Dams completed in 1949 Buildings and structures in Washington County, Idaho Lakes of Washington County, Idaho 1949 establishments in Idaho