Walker Dam dam
Walker Dam
Walker Dam, also known as Walker Lake, is a private dam located in Fairmont, Kentucky, along Crab Orchard Creek. Completed in 1940, this earth dam stands at 18 feet tall and stretches 550 feet in length. With a storage capacity of 692 acre-feet, it primarily serves the purpose of recreation, offering a serene setting for water enthusiasts to enjoy various activities.
Managed by the Kentucky Division of Water, Walker Dam is regulated, inspected, and enforced by state authorities to ensure its safety and compliance with regulations. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential, the dam's condition is assessed as fair, indicating a moderate risk level. The spillway, which is uncontrolled and 34 feet wide, helps manage water levels during periods of excess flow, while the surrounding area covers 63 acres with a drainage area of 2.01 square miles.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Walker Dam presents an intriguing case study of a privately owned structure that plays a vital role in providing recreational opportunities while also managing water flow along Crab Orchard Creek. The dam's historical significance, coupled with its current regulatory oversight and risk assessment, highlights the importance of maintaining and monitoring such infrastructure to ensure the safety and well-being of both the surrounding community and the environment.
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 Walker Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tradewater River At Olney | 23 cfs | → |
| Green River At Lock 2 At Calhoun | 884 cfs | → |
| Ohio River At Old Shawneetown | 259,000 cfs | → |
| Pond River Near Apex | 18 cfs | → |
| Big Creek Near Wadesville | 14 cfs | → |
| Wabash River At New Harmony | 40,300 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Walker Dam.
Boat launches
- Union County
- Daisey Mae Road Union County
- Crittenden County
- Water Street Cave-In-Rock
- Blackburn Road 198, Union County
- Hardin County
Campgrounds
Paddle runs
- Russell Cemetery, Approx 1/4 Mile North Of Karbers Ridge Road To Proclamation Boundary, 1 Mile Nw Of Elizabethtown,Il
- Wallace Cemetery Approx 2.5 Miles Nw Of Herod, Il To Confluence With Ohio River At Golconda Jobs Corp Center
- Source, About 2 Miles East Of Delwood, Il (Sec 10, T11s, R6e) To Bridge At Eddyville Blacktop (Se1/4,Sec.16,T12s, R6e)
- Bridge At Eddyville Blacktop To Confluence With Ohio River At Golconda,Il
- 1 Minle Southwest Of Delwood, Il (Sec. 18, T11s, R13e) To Reesville, 1/4 Mile South Of The Confluence With Sugar Creek
Track Walker 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 Walker Dam
Where does the data for Walker 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 Walker Dam.