Broken Bow Dam dam
Broken Bow Dam
Broken Bow Dam, located in Eagletown, Oklahoma, is a federal-owned gravity dam on the Mountain Fork River that serves multiple purposes including flood risk reduction, hydroelectric power generation, recreation, and water supply. Completed in 1968 by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the dam stands at 225 feet tall and stretches 4026 feet in length, with a maximum storage capacity of 1,598,950 acre-feet and a surface area of 20,500 acres. Despite being classified as having a high hazard potential, a risk assessment conducted by the USACE in 2017 deemed the risk associated with the dam as low, primarily driven by the potential for water seepage through rock fractures in the foundation.
To manage the potential risks associated with Broken Bow Dam, the USACE implements various risk management measures. These include conducting emergency exercises with local and state emergency responders, updating the Emergency Action Plan, developing a communication plan, and maintaining the dam through continuous operations and maintenance activities. Additionally, the dam is equipped with a robust instrumentation and monitoring system to evaluate changing conditions and ensure the structure's integrity. In the event of a dam failure, the unincorporated community of Eagletown would face the largest impacts, emphasizing the importance of proactive risk management strategies to safeguard lives and property downstream.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Broken Bow Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Fork Near Eagletown | 680 cfs | → |
| Glover River Near Glover | 990 cfs | → |
| Little River Blw Lukfata Creek | 2,130 cfs | → |
| Mountain Fork At Smithville | 743 cfs | → |
| Little River Near Horatio | 3,670 cfs | → |
| Cossatot River Near Vandervoort | 107 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Broken Bow Dam.
Boat launches
- E1965 Mccurtain County
- Mccurtain County
- Carson Creek Road Mccurtain County
- Polk Road 3 Polk County
- Polk Road 474 Polk County
- Gillham Lake Road Howard County
Campgrounds
- Beavers Bend State Park
- Hochatown State Park
- Pine Creek Cove - Pine Creek Lake
- Lost Rapids - Pine Creek Lake
- Little River - Pine Creek Lake
- Turkey Creek - Pine Creek Lake
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Confluence Of East And West Forks, Sec 7, T3s, R23e To Nf Boundary Sec 32, T4s, R23e
- State Highway 4 To Broken Bow Lake
- Headwaters In Sec 8, T1s, R31w To Nf Boundary At Acorn, Ar
- Sec 30, T3s, R27w To Sec 19, T4s, R24w
- Nf Boundary At Pine Ridge, Ar To Highway 298 Bridge Near Sims, Ar
Track Broken Bow Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Broken Bow Dam
Where does the data for Broken Bow Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Broken Bow Dam.