Mormon dam
Mormon
Mormon Dam, located in Fairfield, Idaho, was completed in 1908 and serves as an essential water resource for the region. The dam, standing at a height of 27.1 feet and with a storage capacity of 19,280 acre-feet, regulates the flow of McKinney Creek and Camas Creek, providing irrigation water for agricultural purposes. Despite its age, the dam is in fair condition, with a high hazard potential due to its location and the significant amount of water it holds.
Owned privately, Mormon Dam is regulated by the Idaho Department of Water Resources, ensuring that it meets state inspection, permitting, and enforcement standards. The dam's spillway, which is uncontrolled, has a width of 28 feet and can handle a maximum discharge of 1250 cubic feet per second. The dam's structural components consist of stone core types supported by rock and soil foundations. The dam's emergency action plan is being continuously updated to meet guidelines and ensure public safety in case of a hazard event.
Mormon Dam plays a crucial role in water management in the area, with a surface area of 2440 acres and a drainage area of 60.8 square miles. The dam's moderate risk assessment indicates the need for ongoing risk management measures to mitigate potential hazards and ensure the safety and sustainability of the dam and surrounding communities. As a historic structure with significant importance for water resource management, Mormon Dam continues to be a focal point for water resource and climate enthusiasts interested in the intersection of infrastructure and environmental sustainability.
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 Mormon -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Camas Creek Nr Blaine Id | 11 cfs | → |
| Big Wood River Bl Magic Dam Nr Richfield Id | 900 cfs | → |
| Big Wood River At Stanton Crossing Nr Bellevue Id | 252 cfs | → |
| Malad River Nr Gooding Id | 109 cfs | → |
| Snake River At King Hill Id | 5,980 cfs | → |
| Big Wood River At Hailey Id Total Flow | 848 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Mormon.
Boat launches
- Magic Reservoir
- Fh61 Elmore County
- Little Drops Recreation Site
- Pine Campground Boat Ramp
- Camas Reservoir Road Elmore County
Campgrounds
- Gooding City Of Rocks Dispersed Area
- Thorn Creek Reservoir
- Thorn Creek Reservoir Dispersed
- Little City Of Rocks Dispersed Area
- Pioneer
- Five Points Campground
Paddle runs
- Snake River
- Headwaters To Sawtooth Nf Boundary
- Alta Creek To Confluence With Feather River
- Headwaters To Confluence With Alta Creek
More reservoirs
Track Mormon 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 Mormon
Where does the data for Mormon 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 High 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 Mormon.