Orange Lake Weir dam
Orange Lake Weir
Orange Lake Weir, located in Alachua, Florida, is a state-regulated dam on Orange Creek primarily used for recreation purposes. This concrete dam stands at a height of 15 feet with a hydraulic height of 11 feet, providing a storage capacity of 143,771 acre-feet. The dam has a surface area of 7,278 acres and a spillway width of 300 feet, making it a significant structure in the region.
Managed by the St. Johns River Water Management District, Orange Lake Weir has a fair condition assessment as of June 2016, with a significant hazard potential. The dam, with a multi-arch core type, is inspected by the state regularly for safety and enforcement measures. While the risk assessment is moderate, the dam meets guidelines for emergency action plans and inundation maps, ensuring preparedness in case of emergencies.
Overall, Orange Lake Weir serves as a key recreational feature in the Gainesville area, offering opportunities for boating, fishing, and other water-based activities. With its impressive storage capacity and regulated state oversight, the dam plays a crucial role in water resource management and climate resilience efforts in the region.
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 Orange Lake Weir -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Creek At Orange Springs | 2 cfs | → |
| Ocklawaha River At Eureka | 503 cfs | → |
| Silver River Near Ocala | 427 cfs | → |
| Ocklawaha River Nr Conner | 459 cfs | → |
| Ocklawaha R At Rodman Dam Nr Orange Springs | 405 cfs | → |
| Ocklawaha River Nr Ocala | 30 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Orange Lake Weir.
Boat launches
- Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic Park - Boat Ramp/Dock
- County Road 12b, Hawthorne
- Northwest 191st Place 5001, Marion County
- City Of Hawthorne Lindsey-Phillips Park
- Northeast 245th Street Road 14526, Fort Mccoy
- Puggy Road Alachua County
Campgrounds
- Paynes Prairie State Park
- Puc Puggy Campground
- Gores Landing County Park
- Kenwood Rec Area
- Lake Shore Group Campground
- Fore Lake
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Segment A--Mouth Of Spring On Ocala Nf (At Juniper Springs Wilderness) To Bridge On Sh 19 (At Wilderness Boundary)
- Segment B--Bridge On Sh 19 To Confluence With Lake George
- Segment A--Mouth Of Spring On Ocala Nf To Alexander Springs Wilderness Boundary
- Segment B--Alexander Springs Wilderness Boundary To Confluence With St. Johns River
- The First Powerline Crossing The Ichetuckee River To The Confluence With The Santa Fe River, Down The Santa Fe River To The Suwannee River
Track Orange Lake Weir 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 Orange Lake Weir
Where does the data for Orange Lake Weir 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 Significant 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 Orange Lake Weir.