Lake Maxwell Dam dam
Lake Maxwell Dam
Lake Maxwell Dam, also known as Sandbothe Lake Dam, is a private earth dam located in Maries, Missouri. Built in 1999 by designer Robert M. Heagles, the dam stands at a height of 80 feet and stretches 1540 feet in length. The primary purpose of the dam is for recreation, providing a storage capacity of 3343 acre-feet and a surface area of 107 acres.
Managed by the Dam and Reservoir Safety Program in Missouri, Lake Maxwell Dam poses a high hazard potential with a satisfactory condition assessment as of June 2009. The dam has a spillway width of 55 feet and a maximum discharge capacity of 1607 cubic feet per second. Despite its moderate risk assessment, the dam has not been modified in recent years and lacks emergency action plans and inundation maps, raising concerns for effective risk management in case of emergencies.
Located on Indian Creek in Maries County, Lake Maxwell Dam offers recreational opportunities while also serving as a critical infrastructure for water resource management in the region. Enthusiasts interested in water resources and climate will find the engineering and regulatory aspects of the dam fascinating, as it navigates the balance between recreation and safety in a changing climate landscape.
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 Lake Maxwell Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Gasconade River Near Rich Fountain | 2,320 cfs | → |
| Gasconade River At Jerome | 1,360 cfs | → |
| Maries River At Westphalia | 1,000 cfs | → |
| Little Piney Creek At Newburg | 168 cfs | → |
| Bourbeuse River Near High Gate | 178 cfs | → |
| Osage River Below St. Thomas | 37,300 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Maxwell Dam.
Boat launches
- Prairie Lake Road Phelps County
- County Route 809 Osage County
- Scheuler Ferry Road West 698, Miller County
- Logan Road Pulaski County
- Us 50;Us 63 Osage County
- Old Ferry Road 10801, Cole County
Campgrounds
- Paydown Access - Mdc
- Rollins Ferry Access - Mdc
- Lane Spring
- Lane Spring Recreation Area
- Roubidoux Springs
- Piney River Military - Fort Leonard Wood
Paddle runs
- Northern Boundary Of Fort Leonard Wood To North Section Line Of Sec 31, T36n, R10w
- County Highway O, Laclede, County, Missouri To Ozark Spring
- Missouri State Highway 17 To Fort Leonard Wood (Army Base)
- State Highway 49 Bridge Near Dillard, Missouri To Forest Boundary In Sections 13/24, T38n, R3w
Track Lake Maxwell 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 Lake Maxwell Dam
Where does the data for Lake Maxwell 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 Lake Maxwell Dam.