Loon Lake dam
Loon Lake
Loon Lake, located in Jackson, Minnesota, is a gravity dam on Loon Creek with a primary purpose that goes beyond typical water resource management. Completed in 1935, this dam stands at 8 feet tall and spans 30 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 5000 acre-feet for its 707-acre surface area. Despite its low hazard potential, the dam received a satisfactory condition assessment during its last inspection in 2015, ensuring its structural integrity for the foreseeable future.
Owned by the local government and situated in the Omaha District, Loon Lake serves as a vital resource for the surrounding community, with a normal storage capacity of 3000 acre-feet and a maximum discharge rate of 265 cubic feet per second. Its relatively small drainage area of 32 square miles highlights its localized impact on water management in the region. With its buttress core design and unlisted foundation type, this dam exemplifies the engineering ingenuity of its time while also incorporating modern safety standards to meet regulatory requirements.
As climate change continues to impact water resources worldwide, the significance of dams like Loon Lake in managing water availability and flood control cannot be understated. With Jim Hagedorn (R) representing the area in Congress, the importance of maintaining and updating infrastructure like this dam remains a priority to ensure the resilience of local communities in the face of changing environmental conditions.
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 Loon Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines River At Jackson | 563 cfs | → |
| Ocheyedan River Near Spencer | 443 cfs | → |
| Little Sioux River At Linn Grove | 1,490 cfs | → |
| Rock River Below Tom Creek At Rock Rapids | 162 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Loon Lake.
Boat launches
- 140th Street 24728, Orleans
- 150th Street Spirit Lake
- Linden Drive 184, Arnolds Park
- Dam Road 798, Arnolds Park
- West Okoboji
- 130th Street 3653, Emmet County
Track Loon Lake 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 Loon Lake
Where does the data for Loon Lake 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 Loon Lake.