South Wind Orchard Driveway dam
South Wind Orchard Driveway
South Wind Orchard Driveway is a private dam located in La Crescent, Minnesota, along the Mississippi River. Built in 1953, this gravity dam serves multiple purposes including fire protection, stock, and a small fish pond. With a height of 25 feet and a length of 230 feet, the dam has a storage capacity of 100 acre-feet and a surface area of 14.8 acres. Despite its low hazard potential, the dam is currently in poor condition as of the last inspection in April 2014.
Managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the dam is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by state agencies, ensuring its compliance with safety standards and regulations. The dam's primary purpose is to provide essential water resources for fire protection and agricultural needs in the area. While it currently poses a low hazard potential, efforts are required to improve its condition and ensure its long-term functionality for the community's benefit. Water resource and climate enthusiasts will find South Wind Orchard Driveway an interesting case study in dam management and safety.
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 South Wind Orchard Driveway -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| La Crosse River Near La Crosse | 466 cfs | → |
| Black River Near Galesville | 1,230 cfs | → |
| Root River Near Houston | 1,010 cfs | → |
| South Fork Root River Near Houston | 182 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River At Winona | 29,300 cfs | → |
| Trempealeau River At Dodge | 793 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near South Wind Orchard Driveway.
Boat launches
- River Street Dakota
- Lake Onalaska -- Brice Prairie Walk-In Access
- Lake Onalaska/Mississippi River -- Brice Prairie Channel Landing (Fred Funk)
- Lake Onalaska -- Nelson Park Landing
- Lake Onalaska -- Ramp
- Long Lake -- Landing
Campgrounds
- Great River Bluffs State Park Campground
- Cart In Sites
- Great River Bluffs State Park
- Pla-Mor Campground
- Perrot State Park
- Perrot State Park Campground
Fishing spots
- Franklin St. Fishing Pier
- Huff Street Fishing Pier
- Dacota Street Fishing Pier
- New Albin Big Lake
- French Creek
- Pine Creek
Track South Wind Orchard Driveway 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 South Wind Orchard Driveway
Where does the data for South Wind Orchard Driveway 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 South Wind Orchard Driveway.