Near Shadehill in Perkins County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Shadehill Dam & Reservoir
Photographed By Connor Olson, July 17, 2020
1. Shadehill dam & Reservoir Marker
Inscription.
Shadehill Dam and Reservoir. . Beginning in 1949, the Bureau of Reclamation began construction on a dam on the forks of the Grand River. Built for the purpose of crop irrigation and flood control, Shadehill Reservoir is a part of the larger Pick– Sloan Missouri Basin Program, which calls for the conservation, control, and use of water in the Missouri River Basin, that includes various dams in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Construction was completed in late 1951, more than a year ahead of schedule. The total project cost was roughly $5 million.
Shadehill Dam and Reservoir gets it’s name from a nearby hill located to the south of the dam, which in turn, was named after Colonel M. L. Shade, a member of the State Highway Commission, who assisted with the construction of Highway 73.
After it was determined that the water flowing into the reservoir from the Grand River was too saline, the Bureau of Reclamation dropped the irrigation phase from the project and decided to use the dam and reservoir primarily for flood control, silt control, wildlife conservation and recreation.
Beginning in 1949, the Bureau of Reclamation began construction on a dam on the forks of the Grand River. Built for the purpose of crop irrigation and flood control, Shadehill Reservoir is a part of the larger Pick– Sloan Missouri Basin Program, which calls for the conservation, control, and use of water in the Missouri River Basin, that includes various dams in Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Construction was completed in late 1951, more than a year ahead of schedule. The total project cost was roughly $5 million.
Shadehill Dam and Reservoir gets it’s name from a nearby hill located to the south of the dam, which in turn, was named after Colonel M. L. Shade, a member of the State Highway Commission, who assisted with the construction of Highway 73.
After it was determined that the water flowing into the reservoir from the Grand River was too saline, the Bureau of
Reclamation dropped the irrigation phase from the project and decided to use the dam and reservoir primarily for flood control, silt control, wildlife conservation and recreation.
Erected 2018 by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks.
45° 45.416′ N, 102° 13.802′ W. Marker is near Shadehill, South Dakota, in Perkins County. Marker is on Ketterlings Loop Road, 0.7 miles south of North Cabin Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Lemmon SD 57638, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2020, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 17, 2020, by Connor Olson of Kewaskum, Wisconsin. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
