Oglala Dam

Oglala Dam is a dam in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
The earthen dam was constructed between 1938 and 1941 by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs using labor of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Public Works Administration. The structure has a height of and a length of at its crest. It impounds White Clay Creek for irrigation storage. The dam is owned and operated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
The reservoir it creates, Oglala Lake, has a normal water surface of and has a maximum capacity of. As a development project, even after significant government subsidies, the dam has been "a dismal failure from the year of its construction."
The Oglala Sioux Tribe website reports 3 to 4 "seasonal openings each year." The Safety of Dams Program monitors the Dam's water levels and flows for early detection of major dam breach/breaks or severe flood emergencies."
The dam and lake are just south of Oglala, South Dakota, near U.S. Route 18.