Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam dam
Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam
Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam, located in East Sidney, New York, is a privately-owned Earth dam constructed in 1959 for recreational purposes along the Tr-Ouleout Creek. With a height of 15 feet and a length of 300 feet, the dam has a storage capacity of 9.8 million gallons and covers a surface area of 2.4 acres. Despite its significant hazard potential and poor condition assessment, the dam remains under state regulation with required inspections, permitting, and enforcement by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
The dam's spillway type is uncontrolled, with a width of 2 feet, and it is situated in Delaware County, New York, within the Baltimore District of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The area is represented by Congressman Antonio Delgado and falls under state jurisdiction for regulatory oversight, inspection, and enforcement. Even though the dam poses moderate risk with a risk assessment rating of 3, there are no associated locks or outlet gates, and the last inspection in December 2019 highlighted the poor condition of the structure, signaling a need for potential risk management measures to ensure public safety and environmental protection in the region.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts interested in the Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam would find its historical significance, recreational purpose, and state-regulated status intriguing. The dam, with its storage capacity, surface area, and drainage area, plays a vital role in the local ecosystem and offers opportunities for outdoor recreation. However, the dam's condition assessment, hazard potential, and risk assessment underscore the importance of proactive maintenance, emergency preparedness, and risk management to mitigate potential failures and safeguard the surrounding community and environment.
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 Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Ouleout Creek At East Sidney Ny | 67 cfs | → |
| Susquehanna River At Unadilla Ny | 826 cfs | → |
| Trout Creek Near Trout Creek Ny | 24 cfs | → |
| Unadilla River At Rockdale Ny | 414 cfs | → |
| West Branch Delaware River At Walton Ny | 429 cfs | → |
| Susquehanna River At Bainbridge Ny | 1,430 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam.
Track Lower Cornelius S Smith 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 Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam
Where does the data for Lower Cornelius S Smith 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 Lower Cornelius S Smith Dam.