Minerva Lake Dam dam
Minerva Lake Dam
Minerva Lake Dam, located in Olmstedville, New York, stands as a crucial structure regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, ensuring its safety and compliance with state standards. Completed in 1931, this earth dam serves primarily for recreational purposes, providing a serene setting for visitors to enjoy the 83-acre surface area of Minerva Lake. The dam boasts a height of 20 feet and a length of 330 feet, with a maximum storage capacity of 460 acre-feet and a normal storage of 344 acre-feet.
Despite its low hazard potential, Minerva Lake Dam is subject to regular state inspections to maintain its integrity and safety. The spillway of the dam, featuring a width of 74 feet, is uncontrolled, allowing for a maximum discharge of 1190 cubic feet per second. The risk assessment for this dam is moderate, emphasizing the importance of ongoing risk management measures to ensure the safety of the surrounding community and environment. With its picturesque location on Jones Brook, Minerva Lake Dam serves as both a recreational hub and a testament to responsible water resource management in the state of New York.
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 Minerva Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Hudson River At North Creek Ny | 479 cfs | → |
| Hudson River Near Newcomb Ny | 172 cfs | → |
| Indian River Near Indian Lake Ny | 175 cfs | → |
| Putnam Creek East Of Crown Point Center Ny | 373 cfs | → |
| Hudson River At Hadley Ny | 1,100 cfs | → |
| Sacandaga River At Stewarts Bridge Nr Hadley Ny | 414 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Minerva Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Schroon Lake
- Us 9 Town Of Chester
- Brant Lake
- Rock Pond Trail Essex County
- Dock Road 88, Town Of Long Lake
- Mossy Point Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Camps Baco & Che-Na-Wa
- Scaroon Manor - Camp Cayuga
- 13th Lake Campsite #10
- Eagle Point - Dec
- 13th Lake Campsite #9
- 13th Lake Campsite #2
Track Minerva 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 Minerva Lake Dam
Where does the data for Minerva 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 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 Minerva Lake Dam.