Spring Lake Dam dam
Spring Lake Dam
Spring Lake Dam, located in Madisonville, Kentucky, stands as a key recreational water resource along the Greasy Creek. Built in 1940, this earth dam boasts a height of 25 feet and a length of 600 feet, providing a storage capacity of 199 acre-feet. The dam primarily serves the purpose of recreation, offering a surface area of 9.4 acres for visitors to enjoy various water-based activities.
Maintained by the Kentucky Division of Water, the dam is regulated, permitted, and inspected regularly to ensure its safety and functionality. While the dam's hazard potential is rated as high, its condition assessment is marked as fair, indicating a moderate risk level. Emergency action plans are in place, although last updated in 2014, to address any potential risks and safeguard the surrounding community in case of a dam failure.
Overall, Spring Lake Dam stands as a vital water resource for locals and visitors alike, providing recreational opportunities while being closely monitored and managed to mitigate any potential risks associated with its high hazard potential. Enthusiasts of water resources and climate will find this dam to be an intriguing case study in dam safety and management practices.
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 Spring Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tradewater River At Olney | 23 cfs | → |
| Pond River Near Apex | 18 cfs | → |
| Green River At Lock 2 At Calhoun | 884 cfs | → |
| Green River At Paradise | 978 cfs | → |
| Little River Near Cadiz | 485 cfs | → |
| South Fork Panther Creek Near Whitesville | 20 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Spring Lake Dam.
Paddle runs
Track Spring 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 Spring Lake Dam
Where does the data for Spring 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 Spring Lake Dam.