Dower’s Hole, located near the intersection of West Rushmore Street and North Ames Street in Spearfish, is a treasured and beloved spot for locals to enjoy the natural beauty of Spearfish Creek. In an effort to preserve the creek and naturally-occurring swimming hole and reduce flood damages, the city asks that while residents enjoy the hole, they refrain from building rock dams in Dower’s Hole.
As temperatures drop and Spearfish Creek begins to freeze, we can expect flooding along Spearfish Creek. The rock dams increase depths at the hole, which can cause an increase in floodwater depths downstream from the hole when flooding occurs. In addition, the dams push flow to the west bank and contribute to erosion. City staff time and public resources have been used to correct this damage.
The city is actively looking at ways to create a sustainable public access point that preserves both the swimming hole and the integrity of the creek. This project is in early planning phases and will later include collaboration with the public in addition to local, state, and federal stakeholders and regulators like Game, Fish, and Parks, Army Corps of Engineers, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The city thanks everyone for their help in ensuring that future generations may continue to enjoy Dower’s Hole.
