Broad Creek Dam dam
Broad Creek Dam
Broad Creek Dam, located in Harford County, Maryland, was completed in 1948 by Whitman, Requardt & Assoc. The dam stands at a height of 36 feet and stretches 330 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 958 acre-feet. Primarily used for recreation, the dam also serves as a water supply source, with a normal storage capacity of 254 acre-feet and a surface area of 40.2 acres.
The dam's spillway, uncontrolled in type, boasts a width of 180 feet, allowing for a maximum discharge of 28,957 cubic feet per second. Despite being classified as having a high hazard potential, the dam is currently in fair condition and undergoes regular inspections by the Maryland Dam Safety agency. With its picturesque location along Broad Creek and its vital role in recreational activities, Broad Creek Dam remains a significant infrastructure for water resource management in the region.
While the dam's risk assessment is moderate, with a score of 3, there are no specific risk management measures outlined. Emergency action plans and inundation maps are not readily available, indicating a potential area for improvement in the dam's overall safety preparedness. However, with its history dating back over half a century and its continued importance for both water supply and recreation, Broad Creek Dam stands as a testament to effective dam engineering and management in Maryland.
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 Broad Creek Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Susquehanna River At Conowingo | 9,240 cfs | → |
| Deer Creek Near Darlington | 263 cfs | → |
| Muddy Creek At Castle Fin | 131 cfs | → |
| Deer Creek At Rocks | 132 cfs | → |
| Bynum Run At Bel Air | 8 cfs | → |
| Winters Run Near Benson | 27 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Broad Creek Dam.
Boat launches
- Dorsey Park
- Cold Cabin Park
- Mason-Dixon Trail Lower Chanceford Township
- Spruce Grove Road Lancaster County
- York Furnace
- Pequea
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
Track Broad Creek 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 Broad Creek Dam
Where does the data for Broad Creek 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 Broad Creek Dam.