List of tallest dams in the United States

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This is a list of the tallest dams in the United States. The main list includes all U.S. dams over 300 feet (91 m) tall, and a second list gives the tallest dams in each state. Dimensions given are for foundation height, not hydraulic height or head. Structures such as levees, dikes and tailings dams are not included in the lists. Decommissioned or failed dams, such as Teton Dam in Idaho, are included. Both lists are works in progress and will be updated periodically with new information. There are currently 75 entries on the main list.

Most of the U.S.'s taller dams are located in the west because of the steeper and more rugged topography. The tallest is Oroville Dam in northern California, a 770.5-foot (234.8 m) embankment dam completed in 1968. Five of the ten tallest dams in the U.S. are located in California. The Colorado, Columbia and SacramentoSan Joaquin river systems contain the greatest number of tall dams. In the eastern U.S., tall dams are less common because of the lesser vertical relief. The tallest dam in the eastern U.S. is 480-foot (150 m) Fontana Dam in North Carolina, which ranks 20th in height among all U.S. dams.

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Tallest dams

More information Name, State(s) ...
Name State(s) Height Type River Coordinates Built
ft m
Oroville Dam[1] CA 770.5234.8 Embankment Feather River 39°32′20″N 121°29′08″W 1968
Hoover Dam[2] AZ
NV
726221 Arch-gravity dam Colorado River 36°00′56″N 114°44′16″W 1936
Dworshak Dam[3] ID 717219 Concrete gravity N.F. Clearwater River 46°30′54″N 116°17′49″W 1973
Glen Canyon Dam[4] AZ 710220 Concrete arch Colorado River 36°56′15″N 111°29′04″W 1966
New Bullards Bar Dam CA 645197 Concrete arch N. Yuba River 39°23′36″N 121°08′35″W 1969
New Melones Dam CA 625191 Embankment Stanislaus River 37°56′50″N 120°31′41″W 1979
Mossyrock Dam WA 606185 Concrete arch Cowlitz River 46°32′04″N 122°25′34″W 1968
Shasta Dam CA 602183 Concrete gravity Sacramento River 40°43′07″N 122°25′08″W 1945
New Don Pedro Dam CA 585178 Embankment Tuolumne River 37°41′58″N 120°25′15″W 1971
Hungry Horse Dam MT 564172 Concrete arch S.F. Flathead River 48°20′30″N 114°00′51″W 1953
Grand Coulee Dam WA 550170 Concrete gravity Columbia River 47°57′21″N 118°58′54″W 1942
Seven Oaks Dam CA 550170 Embankment Santa Ana River 34°08′45″N 117°03′45″W 2000
Ross Dam WA 540160 Concrete arch Skagit River 48°43′54″N 121°04′02″W 1949
Trinity Dam CA 538164 Embankment Trinity River 40°48′04″N 122°45′48″W 1962
Yellowtail Dam MT 525160 Concrete arch Bighorn River 45°18′24″N 107°57′29″W 1967
Cougar Dam OR 519158 Embankment S.F. McKenzie River 44°07′44″N 122°14′25″W 1964
Swift Dam WA 512156 Embankment Lewis River 46°04′47″N 122°11′52″W 1958
Flaming Gorge Dam UT 502153 Concrete arch Green River 40°54′52″N 109°25′17″W 1964
New Exchequer Dam CA 490150 Concrete-faced rockfill Merced River 37°35′10″N 120°16′10″W 1967
Fontana Dam NC 480150 Concrete gravity Little Tennessee River 35°27′08″N 83°48′17″W 1944
Morrow Point Dam CO 468143 Concrete arch Gunnison River 36°27′07″N 107°32′17″W 1968
Detroit Dam OR 463141 Concrete gravity North Santiam River 44°43′15″N 122°14′59″W 1953
Bath County Pumped Storage Station Upper Dam VA 460140 Embankment Little Back Creek 38°13′32″N 79°49′27″W 1984
Anderson Ranch Dam ID 456139 Embankment S.F. Boise River 43°21′27″N 115°26′55″W 1950
Union Valley Dam CA 453138 Embankment Silver Creek 38°51′55″N 120°26′30″W 1963
Carters Dam GA 445136 Embankment Coosawattee River 34°36′55.4″N 84°40′26″W 1977
New Waddell Dam AZ 440130 Embankment Agua Fria River 33°50′49″N 112°15′58″W 1994
Pine Flat Dam CA 440130 Concrete gravity Kings River 36°49′56″N 119°19′34″W 1954
Round Butte Dam OR 440130 Embankment Deschutes River 44°36′11″N 121°16′40″W 1964
Mud Mountain Dam WA 432132 Embankment White River 47°08′24″N 121°55′55″W 1948
O'Shaughnessy Dam CA 430130 Concrete arch Tuolumne River 37°56′51″N 119°47′17″W 1923
(1938)
Libby Dam MT 422129 Concrete gravity Kootenai River 48°24′42″N 115°18′34″W 1975
Brownlee Dam ID
OR
420130 Embankment Snake River 44°50′10″N 116°54′00″W 1958
Owyhee Dam OR 417127 Concrete arch Owyhee River 43°38′31″N 117°14′33″W 1932
Mammoth Pool Dam CA 411125 Embankment San Joaquin River 37°19′23″N 119°18′58″W 1959
Hell Hole Dam CA 410120 Embankment Rubicon River 39°03′26″N 120°24′32″W 1966
Navajo Dam NM 402123 Embankment San Juan River 36°48′01″N 107°36′45″W 1962
Blue Mesa Dam CO 390120 Embankment Gunnison River 38°27′02″N 107°20′06″W 1966
Summersville Dam WV 390120 Rockfill Gauley River 38°13′18″N 80°53′23″W 1966
Lewiston Dam NY 389119 Concrete gravity Niagara River 43°08′35″N 79°02′23″W 1963
Diablo Dam WA 389119 Concrete arch Skagit River 48°42′51″N 121°07′52″W 1930
Pyramid Dam CA 386118 Embankment Piru Creek 34°38′39″N 118°45′50″W 1970
Jocassee Dam SC 385117 Embankment Keowee River 34°57′35″N 82°55′02″W 1973
Pacoima Dam CA 365111 Variable radius arch Pacoima Creek 34°20′05″N 118°23′47″W 1929
Theodore Roosevelt Dam AZ 357109 Concrete arch Salt River 33°40′18″N 111°09′40″W 1911
(1996)
Arrowrock Dam ID 350110 Concrete arch Boise River 43°35′44″N 115°55′20″W 1915
Buffalo Bill Dam WY 350110 Concrete arch Shoshone River 44°30′06″N 109°11′03″W 1910
Jordanelle Dam UT 345105 Embankment Provo River 40°35′52″N 111°25′26″W 1992
Pardee Dam CA 345105 Gravity Mokelumne River 38°15′27″N 120°51′01″W 1929
William L. Jess Dam OR 345105 Embankment Rogue River 42°40′17″N 122°40′30″W 1976
Abiquiu Dam NM 340100 Embankment Rio Chama 36°14′17″N 106°25′33″W 1963
(1986)
Boundary Dam WA 340100 Concrete arch-gravity Pend Oreille River 48°59′14″N 117°20′51″W 1967
Castaic Dam CA 340100 Embankment Castaic Creek 34°31′09″N 118°36′25″W 1973
Folsom Dam CA 340100 Concrete gravity,
embankment
American River 38°42′28″N 121°09′23″W 1956
Lucky Peak Dam ID 340100 Embankment Boise River 43°31′42″N 116°03′11″W 1955
San Vicente Dam CA 337103 Roller-Compacted Concrete Off-stream 32°54′44″N 116°55′28″W 1943 (2014)
Ridgway Dam CO 333101 Embankment Uncompahgre River 38°14′15″N 107°45′33″W 1987
Salt Springs Dam CA 332101 Rock-fill North Fork Mokelumne River 38°29′54″N 120°12′58″W 1931
Alder Dam WA 330100 Concrete arch Nisqually River 46°48′05″N 122°18′37″W 1945
Hells Canyon Dam ID
OR
330100 Concrete gravity Snake River 45°14′41″N 116°41′54″W 1967
Green Peter Dam OR 327100 Concrete gravity M. Santiam River 44°27′07″N 122°32′49″W 1967
Crystal Dam CO 32398 Concrete arch Gunnison River 38°30′38″N 107°37′31″W 1976
Yale Dam WA 32398 Embankment Lewis River 45°57′51″N 122°19′57″W 1953
Parker Dam AZ
CA
32098 Concrete arch Colorado River 34°17′47″N 114°08′21″W 1938
Tieton Dam WA 31997 Embankment Tieton River 46°39′23″N 121°07′46″W 1925
Warm Springs Dam CA 31997 Rolled-earth embankment Dry Creek 38°43′06″N 123°00′46″W 1982
Friant Dam CA 31997 Concrete gravity San Joaquin River 37°00′02″N 119°42′19″W 1942
Olivenhain Dam CA 31897 Concrete gravity off-stream 33°04′13″N 117°08′17″W 2003
Watauga Dam TN 31897 Rockfill Watauga River 36°19′25″N 82°07′22″W 1948
Donnells Dam CA 31797 Concrete arch Middle Fork Stanislaus River 38°19′50″N 119°57′38″W 1958
Cherry Valley Dam CA 31596 Earth and rock Cherry Creek 37°58′34″N 119°54′33″W 1956
Courtright Dam CA 31596 Rock-fill Helms Creek 37°04′44″N 118°58′12″W 1958
San Gabriel Dam CA 31596 Embankment San Gabriel River 34°12′20″N 117°52′33″W 1939
Merwin Dam WA 31395 Concrete arch Lewis River 45°57′24″N 122°33′18″W 1931
Upper Stillwater Dam UT 31094 Concrete gravity Rock Creek 40°33′35″N 110°41′59″W 1987
Bartlett Dam AZ 30994 Multiple arch buttress Verde River 33°49′05″N 111°37′54″W 1939
Green Mountain Dam CO 30994 Embankment Blue River 39°52′39″N 106°19′49″W 1942
Horse Mesa Dam AZ 30593 Concrete arch Salt River 33°35′27″N 111°20′38″W 1927
San Luis Dam CA 30593 Embankment San Luis Creek 37°03′33″N 121°04′29″W 1967
Teton Dam[n 1] ID 30593 Embankment Teton River 43°54′35″N 111°32′31″W 1976
Monticello Dam CA 30493 Concrete arch Putah Creek 38°30′47″N 122°06′15″W 1957
Elephant Butte Dam NM 30192 Concrete gravity Rio Grande 33°09′14″N 107°11′32″W 1916
Gorge Dam WA 30091 Concrete gravity Skagit River 48°41′52″N 121°12′30″W 1924
Smith Lake Dam AL 30091 Embankment Sipsey Fork 33°56′31″N 87°06′21″W 1961
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Tallest dams by state

More information State, Name ...
State Name Height Type River Coordinates Built
ft m
Alabama Smith Lake Dam 30091 Embankment Sipsey Fork 33°56′31″N 87°06′21″W 1961
Alaska[5] Green Lake Dam 21064 Concrete arch Vodopad River 56°59′08″N 135°06′48″W
Arizona Hoover Dam 726221 Concrete arch Colorado River 36°00′56″N 114°44′16″W 1936
Arkansas[5] Bull Shoals Dam 25678 Concrete gravity White River (Arkansas) 36°21′58″N 92°34′29″W 1951
California Oroville Dam 770230 Embankment Feather River 39°32′20″N 121°29′08″W 1968
Colorado Morrow Point Dam 468143 Concrete arch Gunnison River 36°27′07″N 107°32′17″W 1968
Connecticut[5] Colebrook River Dam 21566 Embankment Farmington River 42°00′22″N 73°02′12″W 1969
Delaware[5] Edgar M. Hoopes Dam 13541 Concrete gravity Old Mill Stream 39°46′27″N 75°38′03″W 1932
Florida Jim Woodruff Dam 9228 Concrete gravity Apalachicola River 30°42′30″N 84°51′50″W 1952
Georgia Carters Dam 445136 Embankment Coosawattee River 34°36′55″N 84°40′26″W 1977
Hawaii[5] Alexander Dam 11334 Embankment Wahiawa Stream 21°57′30″N 159°31′32″W 1931
Idaho Dworshak Dam 717219 Concrete gravity N.F. Clearwater River 46°30′54″N 116°17′49″W 1973
Illinois[5] Lake Shelbyville Dam 13842 Embankment Kaskaskia River 39°24′33″N 88°46′50″W 1970
Indiana[5] Brookville Lake Dam 18155 Embankment Whitewater River 39°26′23″N 84°59′56″W 1974
Iowa Coralville Dam 13240 Embankment Iowa River 41°43′28″N 91°31′47″W 1958
Kansas[5] Cedar Bluff Dam 20262 Embankment Smoky Hill River 38°47′12″N 99°43′17″W 1952
Kentucky[5] Dix River Dam 28787 Rockfill Dix River 37°47′08″N 84°42′14″W 1925
Louisiana Toledo Bend Dam 11034 Embankment Sabine River 31°10′25″N 93°33′57″W 1969
Maine[5] Harris Station Dam 17553 Concrete gravity Kennebec River 45°27′37″N 69°51′55″W 1955
Maryland Conowingo Dam 17553 Concrete gravity Susquehanna River 39°39′36″N 76°10′26″W 1929
Massachusetts Wachusett Dam 20562 Concrete gravity Nashua River 42°24′13″N 71°41′16″W 1905
Michigan Hardy Dam 12037 Earthfill Muskegon River 43°29′18″N 85°37′56″W 1931
Minnesota Rapidan Dam 8727 Concrete Gravity Blue Earth River 44.092727°N 94.108662°W / 44.092727; -94.108662 (Rapidan Dam) 1908
Mississippi Sardis Dam 11736 Earthfill Little Tallahatchie River 34°24′31″N 89°47′46″W 1940
Missouri Table Rock Dam 22067 Concrete gravity White River 36°34′00″N 93°18′0″W 1958
Montana Hungry Horse Dam 564172 Concrete arch S.F. Flathead River 48°20′30″N 114°00′51″W 1953
Nebraska[5] Medicine Creek Dam 16550 Earthfill Medicine Creek 40°22′44″N 100°13′08″W 1949
Nevada Hoover Dam 726221 Concrete arch Colorado River 36°00′56″N 114°44′16″W 1936
New Hampshire Moore Dam 17854 Embankment Connecticut River 34°36′55″N 84°40′26″W 1957
New Jersey Merrill Creek Dam 28085 Embankment Merrill Creek 40°43′34″N 75°06′10″W 1987
New Mexico Navajo Dam 402123 Embankment San Juan River 36°48′01″N 107°36′45″W 1962
New York[5] Lewiston Dam 389119 Concrete gravity Niagara River 43°08′35″N 79°02′23″W 1963
North Carolina Fontana Dam 480150 Concrete gravity Little Tennessee River 35°27′08″N 83°48′17″W 1944
North Dakota Garrison Dam 21064 Embankment Missouri River 47°29′55″N 101°24′43″W 1953
Ohio William Harsha Dam 20562 Rockfill East Fork Little Miami River 39°01′21″N 84°09′01″W 1973
Oklahoma Broken Bow Dam 22569 Embankment Mountain Fork River 34°08′44″N 94°41′08″W 1968
Oregon Cougar Dam 519158 Embankment S.F. McKenzie River 44°07′44″N 122°14′25″W 1964
Pennsylvania Raystown Dam 19058 Earthfill Raystown Branch Juniata River 40°26′01″N 78°00′24″W 1973
Rhode Island Scituate Reservoir Dam 10030 Earthfill North Branch Pawtuxet River 41°45′N 71°35′W 1921
South Carolina Jocassee Dam 385117 Embankment Keowee River 34°57′35″N 82°55′02″W 1973
South Dakota Oahe Dam 24575 Embankment Missouri River 44°27′04″N 100°24′08″W 1962
Tennessee Watauga Dam 31897 Rockfill Watauga River 36°19′25″N 82°07′22″W 1948
Texas Mansfield Dam 27885 Concrete gravity Colorado River (Texas) 30°23′30″N 97°54′26″W 1941
Utah Flaming Gorge Dam 502153 Concrete arch Green River (Colorado River) 40°54′52″N 109°25′17″W 1964
Vermont Moore Dam 17854 Embankment Connecticut River 34°36′55″N 84°40′26″W 1957
Virginia Bath County Pumped Storage Station Upper Dam 460140 Embankment Little Back Creek 38°13′32″N 79°49′27″W 1984
Washington Mossyrock Dam 606185 Concrete arch Cowlitz River 46°32′04″N 122°25′34″W 1968
West Virginia Summersville Dam 390120 Rockfill Gauley River 38°13′18″N 80°53′23″W 1966
Wisconsin[6] Hatfield Dam 9529 Earthfill Black River (Wisconsin) 1908
Wyoming Buffalo Bill Dam 350110 Concrete arch Shoshone River 44°30′06″N 109°11′03″W 1910
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