Fort Randall Project Statistics

Published Aug. 6, 2012

Statistics (Cubic Feet per Second = CFS; Mean Sea Level = MSL; Kilowatts = Kw; Revolutions per Minute = RPM)

Significant Dates:

  • Operating Since: 1953
  • Construction Start: 1946
  • Closure: July 20, 1952
  • Reservoir filling initiated: January 1953
  • Reservoir first reached minimum operating pool: November 24, 1953
  • Initial Power Generation – First and Last Units: March 1954 – January 1956

Powerplant

  • Number of turbines: 8 Francis, 85.7 rpm
  • Max power generation capability: 320,000 Kw

Size

  • Ranking: 11th largest reservoir in the United States
  • Length of Dam: 10,700 feet (including spillway)
  • Damming Height: 140 feet (low water to maximum operating pool)
  • Maximum Height: 165 feet
  • Maximum width at base: 4,300 feet (total)
  • Maximum width at base: 1,250 feet (without berms)
  • Elevation at crest: 1,375 feet msl

Construction

  • Abutment formations (under dam & embankment): Niobrara chalk
  • Type of Fill: Rolled-earth fill & chalk berms
  • Amount of Fill: 28,000,000 cubic yards of fill & 22,000,000 cubic yards of fill
  • Amount of Concrete: 961,000 cubic yards

Spillway

  • Location: Left bank - adjacent
  • Width: 1,000 feet gated
  • Number of gates: 21
  • Dimension of gates: 40-foot x 29-foot tainter gates
  • Design discharge capacity: 620,000 cfs at 1,379.3 feet msl pool elevation
  • Discharge capacity at maximum operating pool: 508,000 cfs at 1,375 feet msl
  • Top of Spillway Gates (closed): 1,375 feet msl

Intake structures

  • Number:
  • Size:
  • Length:

Outlet works

  • Number:
  • Size:
  • Length:
  • Release capacity:

Lake

  • Upstream Drainage: 14,150 square miles
  • Tributaries: Missouri River, White River
  • Shoreline length: 540 miles at 1,350 feet msl
  • Length of full reservoir: 107 miles
  • Surface acres: 102,000 acres
  • Storage capacity: 5,418,000 acre-feet
  • Maximum depth: 140 feet
  • Annual Flood Ctrl & Multi-Use Zone (Elevation): 1,350 feet msl – 1,365 feet msl
  • Exclusive Flood Ctrl Zone (Elevation): 1,365 feet msl – 1,375 feet msl
  • Record Pool Elevation (Date): 1,372.2 feet msl (1997); 1,374.0 feet msl (July 11, 2011)
  • Record Flow Prior to 2011 (Year): 67,000 cfs (1997)
  • Record Flow (2011): 160,000 cfs (Late July)