Deer Creek dam
Deer Creek
Deer Creek, located in Clearwater County, Idaho, is a state-regulated water resource managed by the Idaho Department of Water Resources. The dam on Deer Creek was completed in 2003 and serves primarily for recreational purposes, offering a storage capacity of 975 acre-feet and a surface area of 62 acres. The dam is an earth-core type structure with a maximum height of 47.8 feet and a hydraulic height of 42.3 feet.
With a significant hazard potential and fair condition assessment as of July 2017, Deer Creek Dam is inspected every four years to ensure its safety and functionality. The spillway type is uncontrolled with a width of 12 feet, and the outlet gates consist of slide (sluice gate) mechanisms. The dam's drainage area is 2.3 square miles, with a maximum discharge capacity of 140 cubic feet per second, providing valuable water resources for the surrounding area.
Overall, Deer Creek Dam represents a crucial water management infrastructure in Idaho, contributing to both recreational activities and water storage needs. Its moderate risk assessment underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and maintenance to safeguard the surrounding community and environment from potential hazards associated with the dam. As a state-regulated facility, Deer Creek Dam plays a vital 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 Deer Creek -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Nf Clearwater River Nr Canyon Ranger Station Id | 12,300 cfs | → |
| Clearwater River At Orofino Id | 29,100 cfs | → |
| Lolo Creek Nr Greer Id | 771 cfs | → |
| Clearwater River Nr Peck Id | 32,900 cfs | → |
| Big Canyon Creek Nr Peck Id | 24 cfs | → |
| Lochsa River Nr Lowell Id | 11,800 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Deer Creek.
Boat launches
- Grandad Road Clearwater County
- Dent Trail Clearwater County
- Dent Bridge Road Clearwater County
- Canyon Creek Road Clearwater County
- Big Eddy Trail Clearwater County
- Clearwater County
Campgrounds
- Washington Creek
- Station Creek Camp
- Little Meadow Creek Atv Camp
- Grandad Creek - Dworshak Reservoir
- Grandad Caampground
- Weitas Creek Campground
Paddle runs
- Dworshak Reservoir, Sec. 34, T41n, R6e To Forest Road #250, Sec. 6, T40n, R11e
- Dworshak Reservoir, Sec. 19, T41n, R5e To Forest Boundary, Sec. 33, T42n, R6e
- Cedar Creek, Sec. 6, T41n, R6e To Adair Creek
- Lolo Creek
- Headwaters, Sec. 3, T35n, R7e To Fish Creek, Sec. 24, T35n, R8e
- Road 581, Sec. 19, T39n, R13e To Mouth, Sec. 18, T39n, R10e
More reservoirs
Track Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek
Where does the data for Deer Creek 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 Deer Creek.