Authorization: Flood Control Act approved May 17,1950, Public Law 81- 516a, Project Document HD 442, 80th Congress, 2d Session. Public Law 85-237 dated February 15, 1958, changed the project name from Strawn Dam to John Redmond Dam and Reservoir.

Location: On the Grand (Neosho) River at river mile 343.7, about 3 miles northwest of Burlington in Coffey County, Kansas.

Status: Complete.

Purpose: Flood control, water supply, water quality control and recreation.  Additionally operated for wildlife objectives.

History of Construction: Construction of the project began in June 1959.  Closure of the embankment was completed in September 1963.  The project was completed for full flood control operation in September 1964.  All major construction was completed in December 1965.  Ultimate development was initiated January 1, 1976, and the conservation pool elevation changed from 1036.0 to 1039.0.  In 2013, the conservation pool was raised to 1041.0.

Type of Structure: The project consists of an earth-filled embankment and a gated ogee weir, concrete spillway located in the left abutment. The dam rises to a maximum height of 86.5 feet above the streambed. From STA. 60+00A to STA. 276+00A, the overall length of the dam, including the spillway is 21,600 feet.  The spillway structure has a width of 964 ft. (STA. 239+12A to STA. 248+76A), and the earthen embankment is 20,636 feet in length. A 24-foot-wide road is provided along the crest of the dam.

Spillway & Outlet Works: The spillway is a gated, concrete, ogee weir located in the left abutment. The net opening of the structure is 560 feet and it is equipped with fourteen 40- by 35-foot-high tainter gates. Spillway capacity at the maximum pool (elevation 1074.5) is 578,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and at the top of the flood control pool (elevation 1068.0) is 428,000 cfs. Two 24-inch- diameter low-flow pipes are located through the left non-overflow section with a discharge capacity of 130 cfs at the spillway crest. A 30-inch-diameter water supply connection is provided for future use. Bank-full capacity of the channel below the dam site is 15,000 cfs.

Hydrologic Data: The flood of record occurred in June and July 1951 (pre-construction) with a peak discharge of 408,000 cfs and a volume of 2,030,000 acre- feet, which is equivalent to 12.62 inches of runoff from the drainage area above the dam site.