Straight Lake dam
Straight Lake
Straight Lake, located in Minnesota, is a state-regulated dam on the Straight River with a primary purpose of flood risk reduction. Built in 1942, this gravity dam stands at a height of 20 feet and has a hydraulic height of 3.2 feet. With a normal storage capacity of 2890 acre-feet and a drainage area of 36 square miles, this dam plays a crucial role in managing water flow and protecting the surrounding area from potential flooding events.
Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, Straight Lake poses a high risk due to its location and the volume of water it can store. The dam has no spillway and is associated with the WPA-DI-SL designer. Straight Lake's inspection frequency is every 8 years, with the last inspection conducted in August 2016. As climate change continues to impact water resources and increase the frequency of extreme weather events, the importance of well-maintained dams like Straight Lake in mitigating flood risks cannot be overstated.
In the event of an emergency, Straight Lake has plans in place to ensure the safety of the surrounding community, though details on emergency preparedness, inundation maps, and risk management measures are not provided in the data. With Collin Peterson (D) as the representative for the area and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as the state regulatory agency, Straight Lake serves as a vital infrastructure for water resource management and climate resilience in Becker County, Minnesota.
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 Straight Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Straight River Near Park Rapids | 46 cfs | → |
| Crow Wing River At Nimrod | 343 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River Near Bemidji | 217 cfs | → |
| Buffalo River Near Hawley | 47 cfs | → |
| Wild Rice River At Twin Valley | 200 cfs | → |
| Otter Tail River Near Elizabeth | 341 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Straight Lake.
Boat launches
- Mill Avenue Osage
- Pine Point
- 1st Street Southwest Menahga
- Grouse Road 19800, Hubbard County
- Hubbard County
- Hoot Owl Lake Road 10405, Clearwater County
Campgrounds
- Wolf Lake City Campground
- Waterfront Park
- Hungryman Lake- Two Inlets State Forest
- Hungryman Forest Campground
- Memorial Forest Park - Menahga
- Menahga Memorial Forest Campground
Fishing spots
Track Straight Lake 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 Straight Lake
Where does the data for Straight Lake 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 Straight Lake.