Beren's Dam dam
Beren's Dam
Beren's Dam, also known as Black Creek Watershed Structure 1a, is a privately owned earth dam located in Holland, Michigan. Completed in 1993, this dam serves the primary purpose of flood risk reduction along the Black Creek, with a significant hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment. The dam stands at a height of 31.7 feet with a hydraulic height of 28.8 feet, and a storage capacity of 773 acre-feet.
Managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and designed by Capital Con and USDA-SCS, Beren's Dam plays a crucial role in regulating water flow and mitigating potential flooding in the region. The dam's uncontrolled spillway, with a width of 202 feet, can handle a maximum discharge of 7100 cubic feet per second. With state regulation and inspections in place, the dam is regularly assessed for safety and effectiveness in flood risk management.
Located in Ottawa County, Michigan, Beren's Dam is a key infrastructure for water resource management in the area. Its strategic position and design contribute to the overall flood risk reduction efforts, ensuring the safety of the surrounding communities and enhancing the resilience of the Black Creek watershed to climate variability and extreme weather events.
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 Beren's Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Macatawa River At State Road Near Zeeland | 18 cfs | → |
| Grand River At Grand Rapids | 3,810 cfs | → |
| Kalamazoo River At New Richmond | 1,940 cfs | → |
| Kalamazoo River Near New Richmond | 4,480 cfs | → |
| Rabbit River Near Hopkins | 47 cfs | → |
| Rogue River Near Rockford | 237 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Beren's Dam.
Boat launches
- 28th Avenue Georgetown Township
- Linden Drive 10037, Tallmadge Township
- 4th Avenue Tallmadge Township
- Veterans Memorial Drive Southwest Walker
- Deer Creek County Park
- Eastmanville Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Silver Creek Campground
- Tri-Ponds Family Camp Resort
- Tanglefoot Park
- Ely Lake Campground
- Gun Lake - Yankee Springs State Rec Area
- Yankee Springs Deep Lake-Rustic
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Croton Dam In T12n, R11w To City Of Newaygo In T12n, R12w
- Morley Dam In T13n, R10w To Croton Dam Pond In T12n, R11w
- Mainstem To Forest Boundary At North Section Line Of Sec 2, T13n, R15w (1.5 Miles West Of Herperia)
- North Branch From Its Confluence With South Branch In Sec 22, T13n, R16 W To Mclaren Lake In Sec 11, T14n, R15w
- South Branch From Forest Boundary East Of Hesperia At West Section Line Of Sec 22, T14n, R14w To Echo Drive In Sec 6, T13n, R12w
Track Beren's 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 Beren's Dam
Where does the data for Beren's 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 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 Beren's Dam.