Bottom Ash Storage dam
Bottom Ash Storage
Bottom Ash Storage is a private facility located in Belvue, Kansas, along the Kansas River. The storage structure, classified as an Earth dam with a buttress core type, stands at a height of 81 feet and stretches 2075 feet in length. It has a maximum storage capacity of 5625 acre-feet and a normal storage level of 3000 acre-feet, covering a surface area of 120 acres. The facility is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, ensuring its compliance with state regulations.
The dam at Bottom Ash Storage poses a significant hazard potential, but its condition assessment is currently rated as satisfactory. The last inspection took place in September 2013, with a scheduled inspection frequency of every five years. Despite its hazard potential, the facility has not experienced any major modifications or risks that warrant the preparation of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) or the development of inundation maps. The owner, a private entity, has not received any federal funding, oversight, or involvement in the design, construction, regulation, inspection, or operation of the facility.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts may find Bottom Ash Storage intriguing due to its location along the Kansas River and its significant storage capacity for bottom ash material. The dam's design and regulatory oversight by the state of Kansas ensure its safe operation and compliance with environmental and safety standards. While the facility's hazard potential is a concern, its current satisfactory condition and regular inspections provide reassurance of its stability and functionality. The absence of federal involvement highlights the private ownership and management of the facility, emphasizing local responsibility for ensuring the safety and integrity of water resource infrastructure.
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 Bottom Ash Storage -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Vermillion C Nr Wamego | 67 cfs | → |
| Kansas R Nr Belvue | 5,120 cfs | → |
| Kansas R At Wamego | 4,760 cfs | → |
| Rock C Nr Louisville | 16 cfs | → |
| Mill C Nr Paxico | 540 cfs | → |
| Soldier C Nr Delia | 85 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Bottom Ash Storage.
Boat launches
- Lincoln Avenue St. George
- Northwest 86th Street Shawnee County
- State Lake Road 7988, Pottawatomie County
- Linear Trail Pottawatomie County
- Pillsbury Drive Manhattan
- Riley County
Campgrounds
- St Marys Riverside Park
- Oregon Trail Rv Park
- Tuttle Creek State Park
- Banner Creek
- Tuttle Creek Cove - Tuttle Creek Lake
- Stockdale - Tuttle Creek Reservoir
Fishing spots
Track Bottom Ash Storage 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 Bottom Ash Storage
Where does the data for Bottom Ash Storage 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 Bottom Ash Storage.