Red Rock Dam is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

in central

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, on the

Des Moines River The Des Moines River () is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwestern United States that is approximately long from its farther headwaters.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe Na ...

, forming Lake Red Rock. It is contained entirely within Marion County. The nearest cities are

Pella Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. On site of the ancient cit ...

to the northeast, and

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to the southwest. The dam consists of a rolled earthfill embankment and a gravity concrete control section. The dam, at crest elevation of above mean sea level, is about long and high above the flood plain. A compacted impervious cutoff trench to bedrock and a

grout curtain A grout curtain is a barrier that protects the foundation of a dam from seepage and can be made during initial construction or during repair. Additionally, they can be used to strengthen foundations and contain spills. Characteristics A grout curt ...

in the rock are provided for underseepage control. It was constructed along with Saylorville Dam as a flood control project by the

US Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...

, Rock Island District. Major flooding occurred in 1851, 1859, 1903, 1944, 1947, and 1954. In 1960, the Corps began construction. The project was completed in 1969 at a cost of $88 million. The Army Corps maintains its local offices in

. In 2014, work started to retrofit the dam to provide hydro-electric power. At a capacity of 36.4 MW it is estimated that annual energy produced by the project will be 178,000 MWh, or enough to power approximately 18,000 homes. The primary purpose of the dam will remain to manage flood control.http://redrockhydroproject.com/ Extensive recreational development along the lakeshore rapidly followed. It was a key location in the 1972 movie ''A Thief in the Night'' and its 1978 sequel ''A Distant Thunder''. Lake Red Rock was named after one of the lost towns under the reservoir, Red Rock. The dam was supposed to take 3 years to fill but it was filled in 5 days to max capacity due to the prevented flood of 1969.

References

External links

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Lake Red Rock

Red Rock Lake - Recreation.gov
recreation and parks information, camping reservations
Water Levels and Releases (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

Red Rock Lake Hydropower Project Website

Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Marion County, Iowa Dams in Iowa United States Army Corps of Engineers dams Dams completed in 1969

See also

References

External links