Kostal Hawthorne Dam dam
Kostal Hawthorne Dam
Kostal Hawthorne Dam, located in Hamilton County, Nebraska, is a private earth dam designed by the USDA NRCS and completed in 1972. The dam serves multiple purposes, including flood risk reduction, with a primary height of 35 feet and a storage capacity of 1078 acre-feet. Situated on the TR-W FK BIG BLUE RIVER, the dam plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the region.
Owned and regulated by a private entity, Kostal Hawthorne Dam is inspected and maintained regularly by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources to ensure its structural integrity and safety. The dam has a low hazard potential and is currently assessed to be in fair condition. With a drainage area of 7.9 square miles and a maximum discharge capacity of 1342 cubic feet per second, the dam plays a vital role in water management and flood control efforts in the area.
Despite its relatively low hazard potential, Kostal Hawthorne Dam remains an essential infrastructure for water resource management in Nebraska. With its strategic location and design features, the dam serves as a valuable asset for flood risk reduction and water storage, contributing to the overall resilience of the region's water supply and climate adaptation efforts.
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 Kostal Hawthorne Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Platte River Near Grand Island | 1,880 cfs | → |
| Warm Slough Nr Central City | · | → |
| Little Blue River Near Deweese | 54 cfs | → |
| Middle Loup R. At St. Paul | 1,290 cfs | → |
| South Loup R At St. Michael | 256 cfs | → |
| North Loup River Nr St Paul Nebr | 1,090 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Kostal Hawthorne Dam.
Track Kostal Hawthorne 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 Kostal Hawthorne Dam
Where does the data for Kostal Hawthorne 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 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 Kostal Hawthorne Dam.