Macghee Dam dam
Macghee Dam
Macghee Dam, also known as East Bend Lake, is a privately owned recreational structure located in Red Oaks Mill, Dutchess County, New York. Completed in 1953, this earth dam stands at a height of 10 feet and stretches 800 feet in length. It serves primarily for recreation purposes, offering a surface area of 2.7 acres and a maximum storage capacity of 10 acre-feet.
Managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), Macghee Dam is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by state authorities to ensure its safety and functionality. Despite its significance in providing recreational opportunities, the dam's condition assessment in 2017 rated as poor, with a hazard potential categorised as significant. With a moderate risk level, measures for risk management and emergency preparedness are still pending.
Located on the TR-Wappinger Creek and falling under the jurisdiction of the Philadelphia District of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Macghee Dam presents both a picturesque recreational spot and a potential area for improvement in terms of safety and risk mitigation. Enthusiasts of water resources and climate issues will find interest in exploring the complexities and challenges associated with managing this dam for both recreational and safety purposes.
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 Macghee Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Wappinger Creek Near Wappingers Falls Ny | 120 cfs | → |
| West Branch Croton River At Richardsville Ny | 4 cfs | → |
| Horse Pound Brook Near Lake Carmel Ny | 2 cfs | → |
| W Br Croton River Below Dam Near Kent Cliffs Ny | 10 cfs | → |
| Wallkill River At Gardiner Ny | 286 cfs | → |
| Rondout Creek At Rosendale Ny | 191 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Macghee Dam.
Boat launches
- Spring Street 51, Wappingers Falls
- Old Indian Trail 98, Town Of Marlborough
- Market Street 114, Wappingers Falls
- Main Street Poughkeepsie
- River Road 46, Town Of Lloyd
- Clearwater Drive Town Of Poughkeepsie
Campgrounds
- Clarence Fahnestock State Park
- Margaret Norrie State Park
- Samuel F. Pryor Iii Shawangunk Gateway Campground
- Schaghticoke Mountain Camping Area
- Round Pond Military
- Camping For Hikers On Ballfield Graymoor Center
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Kent Bridge To Boardman Bridge
- Pond Downstream Of Shepaug Reservoir Dam, Marked By Service Road Bridge To Ends In Backwaters Of Lake Lillinonah, Near Roxbury Falls
- Begins Downstream Of The Borough Of Bantam, At Stoddard Road Bridge To The Confluence With The Shepaug River
- Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut To Kent Bridge
- The Massachusetts-Connecticut Border To Falls Mountain Road In Canaan, Connecticut
- Begins Below The Tailrace Of The Lower Collinsville Dam To The Route 187 Bridge
Track Macghee 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 Macghee Dam
Where does the data for Macghee 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 Significant 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 Macghee Dam.