Pine Lake Dam dam
Pine Lake Dam
Pine Lake Dam, located in West Dundee, Illinois, is a private recreational dam built in 1940 with a height of 14 feet and a length of 320 feet. Situated on Sleepy Hollow Creek, this earth dam with buttress core serves primarily for recreation purposes, offering a serene 5-acre surface area for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy. Despite its modest size, the dam has a high hazard potential, prompting regular state inspections and enforcement to ensure its safety and regulatory compliance.
Managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Pine Lake Dam is regulated, permitted, and inspected by the state to maintain its structural integrity and prevent potential risks. With a moderate risk assessment rating of 3, the dam has an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 69 feet, allowing for a maximum discharge of 49 cubic feet per second. While the dam lacks outlet gates, it still holds a normal storage capacity of 24 acre-feet and a maximum storage capacity of 17 acre-feet, making it an essential component of the local water resource infrastructure.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Pine Lake Dam serves as a fascinating case study of a privately owned recreational dam in Illinois. With its historical significance, structural features, and regulatory oversight, this dam exemplifies the intersection of human leisure activities with the need for sustainable water management practices. As stakeholders continue to monitor and address potential risks associated with the dam, its role in enhancing community resilience and environmental stewardship remains a critical aspect of water resource management in the region.
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 Pine Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Creek At Elgin | 18 cfs | → |
| Fox River At Algonquin (Tailwater) | 810 cfs | → |
| Fox River At Algonquin | 725 cfs | → |
| Poplar Creek At Elgin | 6 cfs | → |
| Fox River At South Elgin | 1,040 cfs | → |
| Ferson Creek Near St. Charles | 29 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Pine Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Washington Street Carpentersville
- Fox River Trail Carpentersville
- Airport Road 50, Elgin
- Fox River Trail East Dundee
- Fox River Trail Elgin
- Hilltop Drive 145, Lake In The Hills
Campgrounds
- The Hollows Conservation Area Campground
- Camp Reinberg
- Blackwell Youth Campground
- Camp Lakota - A Boyscouts Of America Camp
- Mud Lake West
- Fourth Lake Resort Campsite
Fishing spots
Track Pine 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 Pine Lake Dam
Where does the data for Pine 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 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 Pine Lake Dam.