F. Miller dam
F. Miller
F. Miller is a private earth dam located in Ziebach, South Dakota, along the TR CHEYENNE river. Built in 1938, this dam stands at a height of 23 feet and has a storage capacity of 142 acre-feet. Despite its age, F. Miller is classified as having a low hazard potential and its condition is currently marked as "Not Rated." The dam is under the regulatory jurisdiction of the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement all in place to ensure its continued safety and compliance.
Managed by a private owner, F. Miller serves as a vital water resource for the surrounding area, providing a normal storage capacity of 50 acre-feet and a maximum discharge rate of 1050 cubic feet per second. While specific purposes for the dam are not listed, its presence along the TR CHEYENNE river contributes to both water management and climate resilience efforts in the region. The dam has not undergone recent modifications and lacks certain emergency preparedness measures, such as an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) or updated inundation maps. However, with its low hazard potential and regulatory oversight in place, F. Miller continues to play a crucial role in water resource management in South Dakota.
Overall, F. Miller stands as an important infrastructure piece in the St. Paul District, providing essential water storage and flood control benefits to the local community. With its historical significance dating back to the late 1930s, this dam serves as a testament to early water management practices in the region. While its condition assessment is pending and certain emergency preparedness measures are lacking, the regulatory oversight from DENR and inspection protocols ensure that F. Miller remains a reliable and safe water resource for both current and future generations of South Dakotans.
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 F. Miller -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Moreau R Near Faith Sd | 2 cfs | → |
| Cheyenne R Near Plainview Sd | 239 cfs | → |
| Moreau R Near Whitehorse Sd | 45 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near F. Miller.
More reservoirs
Track F. Miller 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 F. Miller
Where does the data for F. Miller 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 Low 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 F. Miller.