Merritt Dam is a dam in Cherry County, Nebraska, southwest of Valentine, in the north-central part of the state. The 126-foot (38 m) earthen dam impounds the Snake River as it flows along the southern edge of the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest in the Sandhills. It created Merritt Reservoir in 1964 as a project of the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The reservoir holds almost 75,000 acre⋅ft (93,000,000 m³), with about 44 miles (71 km) of sandy shoreline and 3,000 surface acres (1,200 ha) of water.^[2]

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Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area
Merritt Dam, seen from the west
Location of Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area in Nebraska. Show map of Nebraska Merritt Dam (the United States) Show map of the United States
Location	Cherry, Nebraska, United States
Nearest city	Valentine, Nebraska
Coordinates	42.60823155°N 100.87786456°W / 42.60823155; -100.87786456[1]
Area	823 acres (333 ha)[1]
Designation	Nebraska state recreation area
Governing body	Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

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Merritt Reservoir State Recreation Area is adjacent to the eastern side of the reservoir and offers boating, fishing, camping, and hunting activities.^[3] The area, a noted dark-sky location, is the location of the annual Nebraska Star Party.