Painter Lake Dam dam
Painter Lake Dam
Painter Lake Dam, located in Fountain County, Indiana, is a private dam that serves the primary purpose of recreation. Built in 1945, this earth dam stands at a height of 21 feet and has a length of 285 feet, providing a storage capacity of 152 acre-feet. The dam, situated on Panther Creek, has a significant hazard potential and poor condition assessment, indicating a need for maintenance and monitoring to ensure safety.
With a drainage area of 1.8 square miles and a maximum discharge of 2546 cubic feet per second, Painter Lake Dam is crucial for managing water flow in the region. Despite lacking a spillway, the dam plays a vital role in water resource management and flood control. However, with a risk assessment rating of High (2), there is a pressing need for implementing risk management measures and conducting regular inspections to safeguard the surrounding communities and infrastructure from potential hazards.
As water resource and climate enthusiasts, it is essential to monitor the condition of Painter Lake Dam closely and advocate for necessary upgrades and maintenance to ensure its resilience in the face of changing climate patterns and increasing water-related risks. By staying informed and engaged, we can contribute to the protection of this vital infrastructure and the preservation of water resources for future generations.
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 Painter Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Wabash River At Montezuma | 10,000 cfs | → |
| Wabash River At Covington | 5,340 cfs | → |
| Big Raccoon Creek Near Fincastle Ind | 340 cfs | → |
| Sugar Creek At Crawfordsville | 950 cfs | → |
| Big Raccoon Creek At Coxville | 956 cfs | → |
| Vermilion River Near Danville | 811 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Painter Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Henley Road 8823, Marshall
- Marshall Road Rockville
- Blackman Street, Clinton
- Lake Vermilion County Park
- Small Mouth Run Trail Hendricks County
Track Painter Lake Dam 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 Painter Lake Dam
Where does the data for Painter Lake Dam 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 Painter Lake Dam.