Rittenhouse dam
Rittenhouse
Rittenhouse is a dam located in Pinal, Arizona, along Mineral Creek, designed by the USDA NRCS in 1969 for flood risk reduction purposes. This earth dam stands at a height of 17 feet with a structural height of 35.3 feet and a length of 22,000 feet. It has a storage capacity of 4,520 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 660 acres, serving the surrounding area with a drainage area of 91.6 square miles.
Managed by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, Rittenhouse is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by state authorities to ensure its safety and functionality. Its spillway type is uncontrolled with a width of 600 feet, and it has a high hazard potential. Despite this, the dam's condition assessment in 2018 was reported as satisfactory, with a moderate risk level.
With Congressman Paul A. Gosar overseeing the area, Rittenhouse provides critical flood risk reduction measures for the community of Williams Air Force Base in Pinal, Arizona. As an essential piece of infrastructure, this dam plays a vital role in protecting the region from potential flooding events and highlights the importance of proper water resource management and climate resilience practices in the face of changing environmental conditions.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Rittenhouse -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Creek Below Whitlow Dam Nr Superior | 1 cfs | → |
| Florence-Casa Grande Canal | 176 cfs | → |
| Salt River Blw Stewart Mountain Dam | 652 cfs | → |
| Verde River Near Scottsdale | 106 cfs | → |
| Indian Bend Wash At Curry Road | · | → |
| Salt River At Priest Drive Near Phoenix | · | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Rittenhouse.
Boat launches
- East Rolls Road Pinal County
- East Mission Bay Drive Gilbert
- Laguna Boat Ramp
- Apache Trail Maricopa County
- Rafter Take-Out Parking
- East Saguaro Del Norte Road Maricopa County
Campgrounds
- Goldfield Camp
- Lost Dutchman State Park
- Cholla Forest Primitive Group Camp
- Usery Mountain
- Regional Park - Usery Mt Ra
- Usery Park Campground
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Lower Salt
- Boundary Of The Primary Jurisdiction Below Stewart Mountain Dam To Salt River Indian Reservation Boundary
- Salt River Indian Reservation Boundary To Immediately Above Granite Reef Dam Impoundment
- Telegraph Creek - Forest Road #4 To Confluence With Arnett Creek
- Arnett Creek - Forest Road #4 To Middle Of Sec 7,T2s, R12e
- Kelvin Run
Track Rittenhouse in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Rittenhouse
Where does the data for Rittenhouse come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Rittenhouse.