Gobins Lake Dam dam
Gobins Lake Dam
Gobins Lake Dam, located in Nelson, Kentucky, was completed in 1955 and serves as a recreational spot for water enthusiasts. The dam stands at a height of 20 feet and spans 325 feet in length, creating a storage capacity of 140 acre-feet. Despite its low hazard potential, the dam's condition assessment is deemed poor, highlighting the need for attention and maintenance to ensure its long-term stability.
Managed by a private owner, the Gobins Lake Dam is regulated by the Kentucky Division of Water, with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement in place. The dam's primary purpose is for recreation, offering a surface area of 6.2 acres and a normal storage capacity of 36.4 acre-feet. Although it has a moderate risk assessment rating, there have been no recent modifications or updates to its emergency action plan, raising concerns about its readiness in the face of potential hazards or disasters.
Despite its scenic location along the TR-Cox Creek, Gobins Lake Dam's condition warrants closer monitoring and maintenance to ensure the safety of both the dam itself and the surrounding community. With a risk assessment rating of moderate and a poor condition assessment, there is a need for proactive measures to address any potential vulnerabilities and safeguard the dam's integrity for future generations of water and climate enthusiasts to enjoy.
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 Gobins Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Beech Fork At Bardstown | 38 cfs | → |
| Long Lick At Clermont | 1 cfs | → |
| Beech Fork At Maud | 22 cfs | → |
| Brashears Creek At Taylorsville | 27 cfs | → |
| Cedar Creek At Hwy 1442 Near Shepherdsville | 1 cfs | → |
| Floyds Fork Near Mt Washington | 262 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Gobins Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Corps Of Engineers Tailwater Road Spencer County
- Lasater Road Louisville
- Bullitt County Boat Ramp
- Cooper Chapel Road Louisville
- Van Buren Road Anderson County
- Porter River Road Hardin County
Track Gobins 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 Gobins Lake Dam
Where does the data for Gobins 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 Low 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 Gobins Lake Dam.