Sugar Creek dam
Sugar Creek
Sugar Creek is a privately-owned dam located in Troy Township, Bradford, Pennsylvania, with a primary purpose of grade stabilization. Built in 1956, this earth dam stands at a height of 15 feet and has a length of 250 feet, providing a storage capacity of 147 acre-feet. The dam helps control the flow of the South Branch Sugar Creek, which has a drainage area of 1.1 square miles.
Managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Sugar Creek is considered to have a high hazard potential, although its condition assessment is currently rated as satisfactory. Regular inspections are conducted, with the latest one taking place in October 2020. Despite its age, the dam continues to serve its intended function effectively, contributing to the overall water resource management efforts in the region.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Sugar Creek represents a vital piece of infrastructure that plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the surrounding ecosystem. As a regulated and inspected dam, it underscores the importance of proper maintenance and monitoring to ensure public safety and environmental protection. Its continued operation serves as a testament to the ongoing efforts to manage and conserve water resources in Pennsylvania.
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 Sugar Creek -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar Creek At West Burlington | 56 cfs | → |
| Nb Sugar Creek Trib Near Columbia Cross Roads | 3 cfs | → |
| Corey Creek Near Mainesburg | 5 cfs | → |
| Towanda Creek Near Franklindale | 67 cfs | → |
| Tioga River Near Mansfield | 112 cfs | → |
| Towanda Creek Near Monroeton | 107 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Sugar Creek.
Boat launches
- Mt. Pisgah State Park
- Forest Road Bradford County
- Bear Wallow Swamp
- Larnard Hornbrook Park
- Ulster
- Sr 6 Bridge
Campgrounds
- Sunfish Pond County Park
- Larnard Hornbrook County Park
- Hills Creek State Park
- Newtown Battlefield State Park
- Ives Run
- Group Tenting Area No. 3
Paddle runs
- The Colton Road Bridge Near Ansonia, Pennsylvania To Blackwell, Pennsylvania
- Blackwell, Pennsylvania To Short Mountain Gap Near Torbert, Pennsylvania
More reservoirs
Track Sugar Creek 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 Sugar Creek
Where does the data for Sugar Creek 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 Sugar Creek.