Horsehead Lake Dam dam
Horsehead Lake Dam
Located in Mecosta, Michigan, the Horsehead Lake Dam stands as a vital structure along Gilbert Creek, serving multiple purposes since its completion in 1961. This private-owned Earth dam boasts a height of 7 feet and a hydraulic height of 4.2 feet, providing storage capacity of 1800 acre-feet with a normal storage of 600 acre-feet. With a surface area of 430 acres and a drainage area of 10.27 square miles, the dam plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the region.
Despite being unregulated by the state, the Horsehead Lake Dam has been assessed as having a low hazard potential and satisfactory condition, with the last inspection conducted in June 2018. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway with a width of 6 feet and poses a moderate risk level. While lacking certain regulatory oversight, the dam continues to operate effectively and meets the guidelines for emergency action plans, ensuring the safety of surrounding communities in case of any unforeseen events.
With its strategic location and significant storage capacity, the Horsehead Lake Dam remains a key infrastructure for water resource management in the area. As climate change impacts water availability and quality, the importance of maintaining and monitoring such dams becomes increasingly critical to safeguarding the local environment and communities from potential risks and ensuring sustainable water management practices for the future.
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 Horsehead Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Muskegon River At Evart | 1,760 cfs | → |
| Little Muskegon River Near Oak Grove | 377 cfs | → |
| Muskegon River Near Croton | 2,310 cfs | → |
| Chippewa River Near Mount Pleasant | 304 cfs | → |
| Fish Creek Near Crystal | 30 cfs | → |
| East Branch Pine River Near Tustin | 30 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Horsehead Lake Dam.
⚓ Boat launches
- 105th Avenue Morton Township
- Morton Township
- Grant Township
- Northwest County Line Road Sheridan Township
⛺ Campgrounds
- Tubbs Lake State Forest Campground
- School Section Lake Park
- Cran-Hill Ranch
- Canadian Lakes Campground
- Haymarsh State Game Area
- Merrill Lake Park
🎣 Fishing spots
- Fishing Peir
- Lake To The Hills
- Deerfield County Park Swimming Pond
- Baptist Lake
- Idlewild Lake
- Blanch Lake
🛶 Paddle runs
- Morley Dam In T13n, R10w To Croton Dam Pond In T12n, R11w
- Croton Dam In T12n, R11w To City Of Newaygo In T12n, R12w
- South Branch From Forest Boundary East Of Hesperia At West Section Line Of Sec 22, T14n, R14w To Echo Drive In Sec 6, T13n, R12w
- North Branch From Its Confluence With South Branch In Sec 22, T13n, R16 W To Mclaren Lake In Sec 11, T14n, R15w
- Mainstem To Forest Boundary At North Section Line Of Sec 2, T13n, R15w (1.5 Miles West Of Herperia)
Track Horsehead 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 Horsehead Lake Dam
Where does the data for Horsehead 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 Horsehead Lake Dam.