Urban America Development Dam dam
Urban America Development Dam
Urban America Development Dam, located in Urbandale, Iowa, was completed in 1966 and serves primarily as a recreational area for the community. This earth dam stands at a height of 31 feet and has a length of 346 feet, providing a storage capacity of 40 acre-feet. Situated on TR-Beaver Creek, the dam is regulated and inspected by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, ensuring its safety and compliance with state regulations.
With a low hazard potential and a moderate risk assessment, Urban America Development Dam offers a safe environment for activities such as fire protection, stock watering, and fishing. The dam's spillway type is uncontrolled, and it has not been modified in recent years. The surrounding area boasts a surface area of 3.1 acres and a drainage area of 0.27 square miles, making it a valuable resource for both residents and wildlife in the region.
Owned privately and designed by Veenstra & Kimm, Urban America Development Dam stands as an example of effective water resource management in an urban setting. With its recreational focus and compliance with state regulations, this dam plays a crucial role in providing not only leisure opportunities but also environmental benefits to the community.
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 Urban America Development Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek Near Grimes | 643 cfs | → |
| Des Moines River Near Saylorville | 4,250 cfs | → |
| Walnut Creek At Des Moines | 101 cfs | → |
| Des Moines River At 2nd Avenue | 5,350 cfs | → |
| Raccoon River At Fleur Drive | 3,040 cfs | → |
| Raccoon River At 63rd Street At Des Moines | 3,100 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Urban America Development Dam.
Boat launches
- Northwest 70th Avenue Johnston
- Neal Smith Trail Polk County
- Johnston
- Saylorville Boat Ramp
- Lakeview Main Boat Ramp
- Prospect Road Des Moines
Track Urban America Development 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 Urban America Development Dam
Where does the data for Urban America Development 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 Low 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 Urban America Development Dam.