Lower West Lake Dam dam
Lower West Lake Dam
Lower West Lake Dam, located in Pleasanton, Kansas, is a vital structure managed by the local government with oversight from the Kansas Department of Agriculture. Built in 1904, this Earth dam primarily serves for recreation purposes, offering a serene water body for visitors to enjoy. With a height of 14 feet and a storage capacity of 209.5 acre-feet, the dam spans 1650 feet along Muddy Creek-TR, covering a surface area of 16.3 acres within a drainage area of 2.08 square miles.
Despite its fair condition assessment, Lower West Lake Dam poses a high hazard potential, necessitating a thorough inspection frequency of three years. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 250 feet, capable of discharging up to 6200 cubic feet per second in case of overflow. While the risk assessment indicates a moderate level of risk, the dam's emergency action plan status and inundation maps preparedness are unclear, raising concerns about the readiness for potential emergencies.
Overall, Lower West Lake Dam stands as a historic yet essential structure for both recreational and water resource purposes in Linn County, Kansas. Its critical role in providing leisure activities to the community underscores the importance of regular inspections and risk management measures to ensure the safety and integrity of this significant water management asset.
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 Lower West Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Marais Des Cygnes R Nr Ks-Mo St Line | 7,660 cfs | → |
| L Osage R At Fulton | 6,470 cfs | → |
| Marais Des Cygnes R At La Cygne | 5,340 cfs | → |
| Marmaton R Nr Fort Scott | 3,000 cfs | → |
| Little Osage R. At Horton | 2,910 cfs | → |
| Marmaton R Nr Marmaton | 194 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lower West Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- I 49;Us 71 Bates County
- Drexel
- Kansas Road Marmaton
- Vernon County
- South 1500 Road Vernon County
- Bates County
Track Lower West 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 Lower West Lake Dam
Where does the data for Lower West 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 High 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 Lower West Lake Dam.