Crooked Creek S-3 dam
Crooked Creek S-3
Crooked Creek S-3 is a flood risk reduction structure located in Freeburg, Minnesota. Built in 1967 by the USDA NRCS, this earth dam stands at a height of 33 feet and stretches 350 feet in length. Its primary purpose is to mitigate the risk of flooding along the Crooked Creek South Fork, with a storage capacity of 288 acre-feet.
Managed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Crooked Creek S-3 is regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and is subject to state permitting, inspection, and enforcement. Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, the dam poses a moderate risk of failure according to a recent assessment. Its uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates add to its risk profile, highlighting the importance of ongoing maintenance and monitoring to ensure its continued effectiveness in flood control.
With a drainage area of 2 square miles and a maximum discharge capacity of 782 cubic feet per second, Crooked Creek S-3 plays a vital role in protecting the surrounding community from the devastating impacts of flooding. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, structures like this are crucial in safeguarding water resources and communities against the growing threat of floods.
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 Crooked Creek S-3 -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Fork Root River Near Houston | 182 cfs | → |
| Root River Near Houston | 850 cfs | → |
| Upper Iowa River Near Dorchester | 637 cfs | → |
| La Crosse River Near La Crosse | 397 cfs | → |
| Upper Iowa River At Bluffton | 264 cfs | → |
| Upper Iowa River At Decorah | 398 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Crooked Creek S-3.
Boat launches
- Millstone Landing Houston County
- Voyageur Highway Houston County
- Mississippi River -- Dairyland Power Landing - Genoa
- Mississippi River -- Genoa Harbor
- Lycurgus Road Allamakee County
- Great River Rd Allamakee County
Campgrounds
- Camper Cabin
- Beaver Creek Valley Campground
- Trollskogen City Park
- Upper Reno Pack In Campground
- Hike In Site
- Reno Horse Camp
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
- The Minnesota-Iowa State Border To Ends Near The Town Of Bluffton, Iowa
- Western Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument To Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument
- The Big Green River To The River's Mouth At The Mississippi River
Track Crooked Creek S-3 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 Crooked Creek S-3
Where does the data for Crooked Creek S-3 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 Crooked Creek S-3.