Richards Group Pond dam
Richards Group Pond
Richards Group Pond, located in Houston County, Minnesota, is a private earth dam structure designed by the USDA NRCS to primarily reduce flood risk in the area. Completed in 1959, this dam stands at a height of 26 feet and a length of 375 feet, with a storage capacity of 35 acre-feet. The dam is regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and is subject to state permitting, inspection, and enforcement to ensure its safety and efficacy in flood risk reduction.
Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, Richards Group Pond is still considered to have a moderate risk level. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates, with a maximum discharge capacity of 300 cubic feet per second. The last inspection was conducted in April 2013, with an inspection frequency of every 8 years. Overall, Richards Group Pond serves as a crucial infrastructure for managing water resources in the area and plays a key role in reducing the risk of flooding in the Crooked Creek-OS watershed.
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 Richards Group Pond -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Fork Root River Near Houston | 182 cfs | → |
| Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester | 637 cfs | → |
| Root River Near Houston | 850 cfs | → |
| La Crosse River Near La Crosse | 397 cfs | → |
| Black River Near Galesville | 1,350 cfs | → |
| Upper Iowa River At Decorah | 398 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Richards Group Pond.
Boat launches
- Mississippi River -- Genoa Harbor
- Mississippi River -- Stoddard Park Landing
- Mississippi River -- Dairyland Power Landing - Genoa
- Millstone Landing Houston County
- Voyageur Highway Houston County
- Bad Axe River/Mississippi River -- Landing
Campgrounds
- Hike In Site
- Reno Horse Camp
- Upper Reno Pack In Campground
- Wildcat Park
- Goose Island Campground
- Blackhawk County Park
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- The "Lower" Dam, Near The Confluence Of Coon Creek To Lane's Bridge
- The Town Of Bluffton To The "Lower" Dam, Near The Confluence Of Coon Creek
- Western Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument To Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument
- The Minnesota-Iowa State Border To Ends Near The Town Of Bluffton, Iowa
- The Big Green River To The River's Mouth At The Mississippi River
Track Richards Group Pond 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 Richards Group Pond
Where does the data for Richards Group Pond 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 Richards Group Pond.