Nassau Lake Dam dam
Nassau Lake Dam
Nassau Lake Dam, located in Nassau, New York, is a privately owned structure built in 1792 primarily for recreation purposes. With a height of 10 feet and a length of 200 feet, this earth dam holds a storage capacity of 550 acre-feet, with a normal storage level of 380 acre-feet. The dam, situated on Valatie Kill, has a surface area of 173 acres and serves as a significant hazard potential due to its uncontrolled spillway design and a maximum discharge capacity of 990 cubic feet per second.
Despite being a privately owned structure, Nassau Lake Dam is regulated, inspected, and enforced by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), ensuring its compliance with safety standards. The dam has not been rated for its condition assessment, but a moderate risk level of 3 has been assigned to it. Emergency Action Plans have been prepared for the dam, although they may need updates to meet current guidelines. With its historical significance and recreational purpose, Nassau Lake Dam stands as a vital water resource in Rensselaer County, New York, for both residents and visitors to enjoy.
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 Nassau Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Valatie Kill Near Nassau Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| Normans Kill At Albany Ny | 104 cfs | → |
| Kinderhook Creek At Rossman Ny | 371 cfs | → |
| Hudson River At Green Island Ny | 13,600 cfs | → |
| Mohawk River At Cohoes Ny | 4,520 cfs | → |
| Hudson River At Lock 1 Near Waterford Ny | 8,410 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Nassau Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Kinderhook Lake
- Lyons Road 171, Town Of Bethlehem
- Forbes Road Rensselaer
- Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail Albany
- South River Street Coxsackie
- Beech Road, Richmond
Campgrounds
- Cherry Plain State Park Campgrounds
- Cherry Plain State Park
- Pittsfield State Forest
- Sites 11, 12, 13
- Fox Hollow Camping
- Birch Group Site
Paddle runs
- Woodford To Woodford Hollow
- Stamford Town Line To Confluence With City Stream
- First Bridge To Walloomsac Brook
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
- Headwaters To First Bridge
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
Track Nassau 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 Nassau Lake Dam
Where does the data for Nassau 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 Significant 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 Nassau Lake Dam.