Elks Lodge dam
Elks Lodge
Elks Lodge is a privately owned dam located in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, specifically in the city of Shawnee. Completed in 1960, this Earth-type dam stands at a height of 15 feet and spans a length of 550 feet, with a stone core and soil foundation. The dam has a maximum storage capacity of 74 acre-feet and a normal storage level of 43 acre-feet, serving as a crucial water resource for the area.
Managed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Elks Lodge Dam is regulated, inspected, and enforced by state authorities to ensure its safety and compliance with regulations. The dam has a controlled spillway type with a width of 1 foot, and features a valve as its outlet gate. Despite being rated as low hazard potential, the risk assessment for Elks Lodge Dam indicates a very high risk level (1), emphasizing the importance of ongoing monitoring and management measures to mitigate any potential threats to the surrounding community and environment.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Elks Lodge Dam presents an intriguing case study in dam infrastructure and risk management. With its historical significance and critical role in water storage and management, this dam serves as a focal point for understanding the intersection of human intervention in natural water systems and the need for sustainable practices to ensure the safety and resilience of our water resources in the face of changing climate conditions.
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 Elks Lodge -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| North Canadian River At Shawnee | 242 cfs | → |
| Little River Near Tecumseh | 35 cfs | → |
| North Canadian River Near Harrah | 150 cfs | → |
| Little River Blw Lk Thunderbird Nr Norman | 1 cfs | → |
| Deep Fork At Warwick | 331 cfs | → |
| North Canadian River At Britton Rd At Okc | 346 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Elks Lodge.
Boat launches
- Little Gravel Road Little Axe
- Lake Draper Trail Oklahoma City
- Oklahoma City
- East 2nd Street Edmond
- Oklahoma Greenway Trail Oklahoma City
Track Elks Lodge 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 Elks Lodge
Where does the data for Elks Lodge 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 Elks Lodge.