Fort Dodge Hydro Dam


River/Stream: Des Moines River

Location: Fort Dodge, Webster County
        Latitude: 42.516319
        Longitude: -94.200347
        Click here to view an aerial map of the dam.

Built: 1922. Demolition in progress.

Owner: City of Fort Dodge

Height: 17 feet

Length: 366 feet

Hazards: height, urban, visibility

Warning Signs:

Comments: Hydroelectric Dam, formerly a 16-high dam, is removed down to a few feet high through summer, when it is expected to be completely removed. The removal is staged into 2 steps in order to prevent all sediment in the impoundment from being released at the same time. HOWEVER, recirculating currents will continue to be a safety hazard remaining portion of the dam until the dam is fully removed because the dam's height will still be about 5 feet. All boaters should avoid the stretch between the Hydroelectric Park Access and mouth of Lizard Creek until the rest of the dam can be removed - most likely later this summer.


Fatalities 1

  • May 28, 2018, Alex Dencklau, his kayak capsized in the boil below the dam

Click here to enlarge image

Click here to enlarge imagePhotos courtesy of Gordon Greif