Berry Branch Lake Dam dam
Berry Branch Lake Dam
Berry Branch Lake Dam, located in Jackson, Indiana, is a private earth dam completed in 1963 for recreational purposes. With a height of 23 feet and a length of 500 feet, the dam impounds an unnamed tributary of Pruitt Branch, creating a reservoir with a storage capacity of 111 acre-feet and a surface area of 9.57 acres. Despite its importance for recreation, the dam has been classified as having a significant hazard potential and a poor condition assessment.
Managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the dam is subject to state regulations, inspections, and enforcement measures to ensure public safety. The last inspection in March 2019 revealed the dam's deteriorating condition, prompting a high-risk assessment. With no spillway and outdated emergency action plans, the dam poses a potential threat to downstream communities in the event of a failure, highlighting the need for urgent risk management measures and maintenance efforts to safeguard the surrounding area from flooding and other hazards.
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 Berry Branch Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| North Fork Salt Creek At Nashville | 1,210 cfs | → |
| East Fork White River At Seymour Ind | 6,250 cfs | → |
| East Fork White River At Columbus | 7,760 cfs | → |
| Flatrock River At Columbus | 2,000 cfs | → |
| East Fork White River Near Bedford | 6,410 cfs | → |
| Driftwood River Near Edinburgh Ind | 5,910 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Berry Branch Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Bartholomew County
- Boat Ramp Access Jackson County
- Monroe County
- Indiana 258 5748, Seymour
- East Stipp Road Monroe County
- Jackson County
Campgrounds
- Hickory Ridge Horse Camp
- Happy Hollow’S Children Camp
- Blackwell Horsecamp
- Stone Creek Campground & Trails
- Brown County State Park
- B & D
Paddle runs
- Junction Of North/South Forks Of Lost River To State Road 337 Bridge, Approx 4 Miles Southeast Of Orleans, In
- State Road 337 Bridge To State Road 56 Bridge At Prospect, In
- State Road 56 Bridge To Forest Purchase Boundary At Roland, In
- City Limits Of English, In To Carnes Mill Site In Ne1/4ne1/4 Of Sec 13, T3s, R1w
Track Berry Branch 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 Berry Branch Lake Dam
Where does the data for Berry Branch 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 Berry Branch Lake Dam.