Moderate Risk 🌊 Major Dam / Flood Control  ·  Oklahoma

Robert S. Kerr Dam Lock Arkansas River OK

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE RISK PROFILE  ·  OKLAHOMA

6 / 10
Risk Score
Facility Type
🌊 Major Dam / Flood Control
Primary Risk Radius
20
mile zone
Secondary Risk Radius
40
mile zone

// Risk Intelligence

Risk Score6 / 10   Moderate
Facility Type🌊 Major Dam / Flood Control
Operator / BranchUS Army Corps of Engineers
Host CountySequoyah County OK
Nearest CityWashington DC
Primary Risk Radius20 miles
Secondary Risk Radius40 miles

// Strategic Significance

Robert S. Kerr Dam is the downstream anchor of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System — the navigable waterway connecting the Oklahoma interior to the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico. This system allows barge traffic from Tulsa and Oklahoma City to reach Gulf ports, making it critical for agricultural commodity export and industrial logistics. The dam and its associated lock control water levels across a wide reach of the Arkansas River through eastern Oklahoma. It is a key node in the inland waterway infrastructure that moves millions of tons of cargo annually.

// Civilian Impact Assessment

Communities along the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas should be aware of dam release protocols during high water events. The river corridor from Muskogee through Fort Smith to Little Rock is directly affected by water management operations at Kerr Dam. Agricultural flooding of river bottom farmland is a recurring consequence of high-water releases.

// Evacuation & Shelter Guidance

Follow Sequoyah County and LeFlore County Emergency Management directions during high-water events. Monitor Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District water release notifications.

// Counties Within Risk Zone

// Cities Within Risk Zone