Welch Lake Dam dam
Welch Lake Dam
Welch Lake Dam, located in Boone County, Missouri, was completed in 1960 and serves primarily for recreational purposes. The dam is a 22-foot high earth structure with a buttress core type, providing a storage capacity of 106 acre-feet and a surface area of 9 acres. The dam is situated on the Hominy Branch river/stream and is owned by a private entity.
Despite not being regulated or inspected by state agencies, Welch Lake Dam has a high hazard potential, indicating the risk associated with its failure. The condition assessment of the dam is not rated, and the last inspection was conducted in March 1981. Emergency action plans and risk management measures for the dam are not reported in the available data.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts may find Welch Lake Dam intriguing due to its unique design and purpose, as well as the lack of recent regulatory oversight. The dam's location in the St. Louis District and its association with Representative Vicky Hartzler add further interest to its background. Given its high hazard potential, further assessment and monitoring of Welch Lake Dam may be necessary to ensure the safety of surrounding communities and the environment.
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 Welch Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Hinkson Creek At Columbia | 195 cfs | → |
| Moniteau Creek Near Fayette | 63 cfs | → |
| Missouri River At Jefferson City | 102,000 cfs | → |
| Missouri River At Boonville | 78,700 cfs | → |
| Moreau River Near Jefferson City | 6,210 cfs | → |
| Elk Fork Salt River Near Madison | 20 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Welch Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Boone County
- River Walkway Lupus
- South River Road Boone County
- Mo 179 Cole County
- Callaway County
- Jefferson City
Track Welch 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 Welch Lake Dam
Where does the data for Welch 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 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 Welch Lake Dam.