Barnes Lake Dam dam
Barnes Lake Dam
Barnes Lake Dam, located in Columbiaville, Michigan, was completed in 1935 and serves primarily for recreation purposes. This earth dam stands at 7 feet in height, with a hydraulic height of 4 feet and a length of 225 feet. The dam holds a normal storage capacity of 132 acre-feet, with a total storage of 184 acre-feet. The dam's spillway is uncontrolled, with a width of 7 feet, and it has a low hazard potential rating.
Managed by the local government, Barnes Lake Dam is regulated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (DEGLE), with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement in place. Although the dam's condition assessment is currently not rated, it undergoes inspections every 5 years, with the last inspection date recorded as January 1, 1901. The risk assessment for the dam is moderate, with a DSAC (Dam Safety Action Classification) not yet assigned.
Despite its age, Barnes Lake Dam continues to provide recreational opportunities to visitors while adhering to state regulatory standards. The dam's location on the Barnes Lake Outlet offers a serene setting for outdoor enthusiasts and climate enthusiasts alike to appreciate the importance of water resource management and infrastructure maintenance in ensuring public safety and environmental protection.
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 Barnes Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Branch Flint River Near Columbiaville | 167 cfs | → |
| Farmers Creek Near Lapeer | 28 cfs | → |
| Flint River Near Otisville | 298 cfs | → |
| Kearsley Creek Near Davison | 39 cfs | → |
| Cass River At Frankenmuth | 318 cfs | → |
| Flint River Near Flint | 500 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Barnes Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Long Lake, 204 Acres, Lapeer County
- Holloway Reservoir, 2000 Acres, Lapeer County
- Lake Nepessing, 414 Acres, Lapeer County
- Buell Lake, Genesee County
- Mott Lake -E, 650 Acres, Genesee County
- Minnawanna Lake, Metamora Hadley State Park, Lapeer County
Campgrounds
- Otter Lake Park
- Wolverine
- Arthur Latham Park
- Old Family Camp Site - Not Rentable
- Elliott Family Camp - 17 Rv Sites
- Paul Bunyon
Fishing spots
Track Barnes 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 Barnes Lake Dam
Where does the data for Barnes 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 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 Barnes Lake Dam.