Jamestown Ice House Dam dam
Jamestown Ice House Dam
Located on the James River in Jamestown, North Dakota, the Jamestown Ice House Dam stands as a historic masonry structure completed in 1890 for the primary purpose of flood risk reduction. With a height of 7.6 feet and a length of 240 feet, this dam plays a crucial role in protecting the surrounding area from potential flooding events. The dam has a low hazard potential and a moderate risk assessment rating of 3, indicating the importance of its maintenance and management in ensuring the safety of the community.
Managed by the local government and regulated by the North Dakota State Water Commission, the Jamestown Ice House Dam is equipped with an uncontrolled spillway and a vertical lift outlet gate. With a normal storage capacity of 33.1 acre-feet and a drainage area of 2820 square miles, this dam plays a vital role in managing water resources in the region. Despite not being currently rated for condition assessment, the dam undergoes regular inspections and meets state permitting and enforcement requirements, highlighting its importance in safeguarding the community against potential flooding risks.
As a significant structure in flood risk reduction, the Jamestown Ice House Dam serves as a testament to the engineering feats of the past while continuing to play a crucial role in water resource management and climate resilience efforts. With a long history of service and a commitment to safety and regulatory compliance, this dam stands as a symbol of resilience in the face of natural disasters, highlighting the importance of sustainable infrastructure for the protection of communities and the environment.
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 Jamestown Ice House Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| James River At Jamestown | 325 cfs | → |
| Pipestem Creek Nr Pingree | 25 cfs | → |
| Sheyenne River Below Baldhill Dam | 673 cfs | → |
| James River Above Arrowwood Lake Nr Kensal | 36 cfs | → |
| Baldhill Creek Nr Dazey | 29 cfs | → |
| James River At Lamoure | 452 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Jamestown Ice House Dam.
Boat launches
- Stutsman County
- 30th Street Southeast Stutsman County
- 83rd Avenue Southeast Stutsman County
- 90th Avenue Southeast Adrian
- Hehn-Schaffer Lake Boating Access
Track Jamestown Ice House 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 Jamestown Ice House Dam
Where does the data for Jamestown Ice House 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 Jamestown Ice House Dam.