Lady Bug dam
Lady Bug
Lady Bug is a private dam located in Kinsey, Montana, on TR-South Sunday Creek. Built in 1957, this Earth-type dam serves multiple purposes including fire protection, stock watering, and small fish pond management. With a dam height of 18 feet and a storage capacity of 73 acre-feet, Lady Bug plays a crucial role in supporting the local ecosystem and providing valuable water resources for the surrounding area.
Managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Lady Bug is regulated, inspected, and enforced to ensure its safety and functionality. Despite being classified as having a low hazard potential and not rated in terms of condition assessment, the dam continues to serve its intended purposes effectively. The dam's location in Rosebud County, Montana, under the jurisdiction of the state, highlights the importance of proper water resource management and climate resilience in the region.
As a key infrastructure for water storage and management, Lady Bug represents the intersection of human engineering and natural resource conservation. Its role in supporting fire protection, livestock, and aquatic life showcases the interconnectedness of water resources and climate sustainability. With ongoing monitoring and regulation by state agencies, Lady Bug stands as a testament to responsible water infrastructure development in the face of changing environmental conditions.
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 Lady Bug -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone River At Miles City Mt | 10,600 cfs | → |
| Tongue River At Miles City Mt | 61 cfs | → |
| Yellowstone River At Forsyth Mt | 10,500 cfs | → |
| Pumpkin Creek Near Miles City Mt | 0 cfs | → |
| Powder River Near Locate Mt | 17 cfs | → |
| Tongue R Bl Brandenberg Bridge Nr Ashland Mt | 223 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lady Bug.
Track Lady Bug 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 Lady Bug
Where does the data for Lady Bug 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.