Okatibbee Dam

Okatibbee Dam is a dam in Lauderdale County, Mississippi.

Okatibbee Dam
Okatibbee Lake and Dam on Okatibbee Creek, a tributary of the Chickasawhay River
Country	United States
Location	Lauderdale County, Mississippi.
Status	Operational
Opening date	1968
Designed by	United States Army Corps of Engineers
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Okatibbee Creek
Height	72 ft (22 m)
Length	6,620 ft (2,020 m)
Reservoir
Creates	Okatibbee Lake
Total capacity	59,481 acre⋅ft (73,369,000 m3)
Active capacity	46,538 acre⋅ft (57,404,000 m3)
Surface area	5.9 sq mi (15 km2)
Normal elevation	341 ft (104 m)[1]

The earthen gravity dam was constructed in 1968 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers with a height of 72 feet (22 m) and a length of 6,620 feet (2,020 m) at its crest. It impounds Okatibbee Creek for flood control and municipal drinking water. The dam is owned and operated by the Corps of Engineers.[2]

The reservoir it creates, Okatibbee Lake, has a water surface of 5.9 square miles (15 km²), about 28 miles (45 km) miles of shoreline, a maximum capacity of 59,481 acre-feet (73,369,000 m³), and a normal storage capacity of 46,538 acre-feet (57,404,000 m³).[3] Recreation includes boating, fishing, camping, hunting, and enjoying the five parks maintained by the Corps, one full service campground and four day-use parks. Directly north of the lake is the state's Okatibbee State Wildlife Area.