Manter Dam (not completed) – Manter KS

Description

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) spent three years developing a dam and attendant reservoir west of Manter, Kansas that was never completed, also known as the “Stanton County lake.” Local farmers had also intended to use overflow waters from the dam for irrigation purposes. The dam was intended to impound the waters of Bear Creek. The project underwent setbacks, including a flood that deposited nine feet of silt into what was supposed to be the lake’s bed, and even a laborers’ strike, which protested the use of machinery that was reducing the man-hours available for the job.

According to Rural Kansas, “Manter Dam, on Bear Creek, was a WPA project intended to be the second or third largest recreational lake in Kansas.  Engineers’ drawings for the recreational area show a large lake with a beach area, softball and baseball diamonds, a children’s park. picnic shelters and much more.”

Per contributor Carter Block, the site is now public land with a motor cross track and a hiking trail. The dam’s spillway was completed, and it is possible to visit it; however, the area is not maintained and visitors must also be careful of wildlife around the dam area; first responders are more than 10 minutes away. The area was used as a local trash disposal near the entrance road but is now fenced off and contained. It is also a danger of flash flooding as dam is incomplete, but it is said to be otherwise safe to roam around as long as one is careful. There is also evidence of a railway in the area to help with construction of the dam, though we are not aware of any records that show this; just physical evidence of a right of way from the main track between Saunders (unincorporated) and Manter, KS.