Hertz Dam dam
Hertz Dam
Hertz Dam, located in Maxwell, Iowa, is a privately owned earth dam designed by the USDA NRCS and completed in 1959. The dam serves multiple purposes, including fire protection and creating a small fish pond. With a height of 32 feet and a length of 327 feet, Hertz Dam has a storage capacity of 82 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 6 acres.
Managed by the Iowa DNR, Hertz Dam is regulated, inspected, and enforced by the state, ensuring its safety and compliance with regulations. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential, the dam is considered to have a moderate risk, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and risk management measures. With its location on TR-East Indian Creek, Hertz Dam plays a crucial role in water resource management and climate resilience efforts in the area.
Overall, Hertz Dam stands as a vital infrastructure for fire protection, stock, and recreational purposes in Story County, Iowa. Its history, design, and regulation showcase the intersection of water resource management, climate adaptation, and public safety 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 Hertz Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Skunk River Below Squaw Creek Near Ames | 424 cfs | → |
| Squaw Creek At Ames | 148 cfs | → |
| South Skunk River Near Ames | 241 cfs | → |
| Indian Creek Near Mingo | 213 cfs | → |
| Fourmile Creek Near Ankeny | 36 cfs | → |
| South Skunk River At Colfax | 631 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Hertz Dam.
Boat launches
- 250th Street Story County
- 255th Street Story County
- Arney Avenue Marshall County
- West Riverside Road Story County
- Waterbury Circle Ames
- Northwest 150th Avenue Polk County
Track Hertz 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 Hertz Dam
Where does the data for Hertz 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 Hertz Dam.