Caraness Lake Dam dam
Caraness Lake Dam
Caraness Lake Dam, located in Leisure City, Illinois, is a privately owned structure designed by Bob Mintan and completed in 1959. This earth dam, with a height of 37 feet and a length of 370 feet, primarily serves the purpose of recreation, providing a storage capacity of 94 acre-feet. The dam is regulated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and is subject to state inspections, enforcement, and permitting to ensure its safe operation.
Situated on Hicks Branch tributary, Caraness Lake Dam poses a significant hazard potential with a moderate risk assessment rating of 3. While the condition assessment is currently unavailable, the dam's emergency action plan status, inundation maps, and risk management measures are also not specified. Despite these gaps, the dam has not been modified in recent years and features uncontrolled spillways and outlets, contributing to its recreational function in the region.
With a notable historical and structural significance, Caraness Lake Dam stands as a key feature in the water resource management of Hardin County, Illinois. Its association with the St. Louis District of the US Army Corps of Engineers highlights its importance in the local landscape, providing both recreational opportunities and potential challenges that require continued monitoring and maintenance to ensure public safety and environmental protection.
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 Caraness Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Lusk Creek Near Eddyville | 7 cfs | → |
| South Fork Saline River Nr Carrier Mills | 12 cfs | → |
| Ohio River At Old Shawneetown | 259,000 cfs | → |
| Crab Orchard Creek Near Marion | 1 cfs | → |
| Cache River At Forman | 2 cfs | → |
| Ohio River At Metropolis | 444,000 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Caraness Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Front Street Elizabethtown
- 1st Street Rosiclare
- Cr-1385 Crittenden County
- Tower Rock Road Hardin County
- Golconda Ferry Road Livingston County
- Main Street Golconda
Campgrounds
- Pharaoh Campground
- High Knob Campground
- Camp Cadiz Campground
- Bear Branch Horse Resort
- Saline County State Fish & Wildlife Area
- Tower Rock Campsite
Fishing spots
- One Horse Gap Lake
- Lake Tecumseh
- Whoopie Cat Lake
- Little Cache Lake #1 (Bowman Lake)
- Lake Of Egypt
- Dutchman Lake
Paddle runs
- Wallace Cemetery Approx 2.5 Miles Nw Of Herod, Il To Confluence With Ohio River At Golconda Jobs Corp Center
- Russell Cemetery, Approx 1/4 Mile North Of Karbers Ridge Road To Proclamation Boundary, 1 Mile Nw Of Elizabethtown,Il
- Source, About 2 Miles East Of Delwood, Il (Sec 10, T11s, R6e) To Bridge At Eddyville Blacktop (Se1/4,Sec.16,T12s, R6e)
- Bridge At Eddyville Blacktop To Confluence With Ohio River At Golconda,Il
- 1 Minle Southwest Of Delwood, Il (Sec. 18, T11s, R13e) To Reesville, 1/4 Mile South Of The Confluence With Sugar Creek
- 1 Mile West Of Alto Pass, Il To 1/2 Mile South Of Confluence With Clear Creek, West Of Trail Of Tears State Forest
Track Caraness 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 Caraness Lake Dam
Where does the data for Caraness 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 Caraness Lake Dam.