Spring Brook Intake dam
Spring Brook Intake
Spring Brook Intake, located in Spring Brook Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, serves as a vital water supply structure completed in 1894. This private earth dam stands at a height of 33 feet and boasts a storage capacity of 238 acre-feet. With a primary purpose of water supply, it has a normal storage capacity of 78 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 10 acres, drawing from a drainage area of 42.3 square miles.
The dam has undergone mechanical modifications in 2007 and 2008, ensuring its continued functionality. Despite being classified as having a high hazard potential, its condition assessment remains fair. Regular inspections are conducted, with the last one taking place in April 2020. Managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the dam is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by the state, safeguarding its operational integrity and compliance with safety standards.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Spring Brook Intake stands as a historic and crucial infrastructure providing essential water supply services to the surrounding area. Its strategic location along the Spring Brook stream, meticulous design, and continuous maintenance underscore its significance in ensuring water security and resilience in the region.
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 Spring Brook Intake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Lackawanna River At Old Forge | 400 cfs | → |
| Lackawanna R Bl Leggetts Creek At Scranton | 245 cfs | → |
| Susquehanna River At Wilkes-Barre | 9,940 cfs | → |
| Lackawanna River At Archbald | 186 cfs | → |
| Lehigh River At Stoddartsville | 168 cfs | → |
| Lehigh R Bl Francis E Walter Res Nr White Haven Pa | 410 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Spring Brook Intake.
Boat launches
- Apple Tree Road
- Carverston Road-Francis Slocum State Park
- Nesbit Park
- Fords Lake
- Gouldsboro State Park
- Brady's Lake
Campgrounds
- Frances Slocum State Park
- Carpenter Town
- Lackawanna State Park
- Tobyhanna State Park
- Lehigh Gorge Campground
- Ledgedale Rec Area
More reservoirs
Track Spring Brook Intake 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 Spring Brook Intake
Where does the data for Spring Brook Intake 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 High 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 Spring Brook Intake.