Fellowship Lake Dam dam
Fellowship Lake Dam
Fellowship Lake Dam, located in Tama, Iowa, is a privately owned structure with a primary purpose of recreation. Built in 1940 by Fox Engineering, this earth dam stands at a height of 40 feet and spans 690 feet in length, creating a reservoir with a maximum storage capacity of 515 acre-feet. The dam is situated on the TR-Iowa River and is regulated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, ensuring compliance with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement requirements.
Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, Fellowship Lake Dam is subject to moderate risk due to its location and design. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 3 feet and holds a normal storage capacity of 250 acre-feet, covering a surface area of 32 acres. With a drainage area of 1.61 square miles, the dam serves as a recreational water resource for the local community, offering opportunities for fishing, boating, and wildlife observation. While the dam has not been modified in recent years, regular inspections are conducted to monitor its safety and functionality.
In the event of an emergency, the dam's emergency action plan (EAP) status is undisclosed, raising questions about its preparedness and compliance with guidelines. Despite these uncertainties, Fellowship Lake Dam continues to provide a valuable source of recreation and water supply for the area, emphasizing the importance of ongoing risk assessment and management measures to ensure the safety and sustainability of this critical infrastructure in the face of changing climate conditions.
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 Fellowship Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Timber Creek Near Marshalltown | 88 cfs | → |
| Iowa River At Marshalltown | 768 cfs | → |
| Richland Creek Near Haven | 34 cfs | → |
| Salt Creek Near Elberon | 131 cfs | → |
| Walnut Creek Near Hartwick | 33 cfs | → |
| Iowa River Near Belle Plaine | 2,050 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Fellowship Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- C Avenue Tama County
- Atv Trail Tama
- Richards Drive 2165, Tama County
- Bb Avenue Tama County
- P Avenue Tama County
- 360th Street Tama County
Track Fellowship 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 Fellowship Lake Dam
Where does the data for Fellowship 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 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 Fellowship Lake Dam.