Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue) dam
Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue)
Lake Whetstone Dam, located on Montgomery Village Avenue in Montgomery Village, Maryland, stands as a recreational oasis with a primary purpose of providing leisure activities for water enthusiasts. Built in 1966, this earth dam spans 1000 feet in length and reaches a height of 36 feet, offering a storage capacity of 930 acre-feet. The dam overlooks the picturesque Whetstone Run, creating a serene and inviting environment for visitors to enjoy.
Managed by a private entity, the dam is regulated by the Maryland Dam Safety agency, ensuring its structural integrity and safety for the surrounding community. With a fair condition assessment and a significant hazard potential, regular inspections are conducted to monitor its safety and address any maintenance needs. The dam's spillway type is uncontrolled with a width of 16 feet, allowing for the controlled release of water during peak flow events.
Despite its moderate risk assessment, Lake Whetstone Dam remains a popular destination for outdoor recreation, offering a surface area of 26.6 acres and a normal storage capacity of 167 acre-feet. With its historical significance and scenic location, this dam serves as a vital water resource for the community, emphasizing the importance of proper management and maintenance to ensure its continued enjoyment for future generations of climate and water enthusiasts.
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 Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue) -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Seneca Creek At Dawsonville | 38 cfs | → |
| Patuxent River Near Unity | 12 cfs | → |
| Hawlings River Near Sandy Spring | 6 cfs | → |
| Cattail Creek Near Glenwood | 8 cfs | → |
| Patuxent River Below Brighton Dam Near Brighton | 14 cfs | → |
| Nw Branch Anacostia River Near Colesville | 3 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue).
Boat launches
- Clarksburg Road Germantown
- Rileys Lock Road Darnestown
- Potomac Hills Street Fairfax County
- Chesapeake And Ohio Canal Frederick County
- Edwards Ferry Road Montgomery County
- Ashburn Village Boulevard 20585, Lansdowne
Campgrounds
- Little Bennett Regional Park
- Little Bennett Campground
- Swains Lock Hiker-Biker Campsite
- Turner Farm
- Horsepen Branch Campsite
- Horsepen Branch
Track Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue) 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 Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue)
Where does the data for Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue) 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 Lake Whetstone Dam (Montgomery Village Avenue).