Berger Lake dam
Berger Lake
Berger Lake, also known as Hidden Lakes, is a privately owned water resource located in Salem, Oregon. This reservoir on Pringle Creek serves multiple purposes, including irrigation and providing a habitat for fish and wildlife. The earth dam that creates Berger Lake stands at 14 feet in height and has a length of 359 feet, completed in 1953. With a storage capacity of 45 acre-feet and a surface area of 5.5 acres, the reservoir plays a crucial role in the local ecosystem.
Managed by the Oregon Water Resources Department, Berger Lake is subject to state regulations and inspections to ensure its structural integrity and environmental impact. The dam's spillway features a slide gate for controlled water release, with a maximum discharge rate of 17 cubic feet per second. Despite being classified as having a significant hazard potential, the dam's condition assessment is currently not rated. Emergency action plans and risk assessments for Berger Lake are currently not documented, indicating room for improvement in emergency preparedness.
Enthusiasts of water resources and climate conservation will find Berger Lake to be a fascinating case study of a privately owned reservoir in Marion County, Oregon. Its importance in supporting irrigation activities and providing a habitat for local wildlife highlights the intersection of human development and environmental stewardship. As efforts to mitigate climate change continue, the management and maintenance of water resources like Berger Lake will be crucial in ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.
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 Berger Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Willamette River At Salem | 10,500 cfs | → |
| Luckiamute River Near Suver | 249 cfs | → |
| Santiam River At Jefferson | 2,790 cfs | → |
| North Santiam River Near Jefferson | 1,210 cfs | → |
| Silver Creek At Silverton | 52 cfs | → |
| Abiqua Creek At Silverton | 74 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Berger Lake.
Boat launches
- Riverfront Park
- Cascades Gateway Park
- Keizer Rapids
- Riverview Park
- Buena Vista County Park
- Santiam Rest Area (Old Ramp)
Campgrounds
Paddle runs
Track Berger Lake 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 Berger Lake
Where does the data for Berger Lake 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 Berger Lake.