Placid Lake dam
Placid Lake
Placid Lake, located in Kidder Township, Pennsylvania, is a privately owned reservoir primarily used for recreation. The dam at Placid Lake is an earth structure with a height of 22.5 feet and a length of 2700 feet, completed in 1963. The reservoir has a storage capacity of 240 acre-feet, with a normal storage level of 155 acre-feet and a surface area of 24 acres.
Despite its scenic beauty and recreational value, Placid Lake poses a high hazard potential due to its poor condition assessment. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for regulating and inspecting the dam, ensuring its safe operation and maintenance. The last inspection was conducted in April 2020, with a scheduled frequency of one inspection per year.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Placid Lake offers both an opportunity for leisure and a case study in dam safety and management. With its tranquil setting and potential risks, Placid Lake serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining and monitoring water infrastructure to ensure the safety of both the environment and surrounding communities.
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 Placid Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tobyhanna Creek Near Blakeslee | 133 cfs | → |
| Tunkhannock Creek Near Long Pond | 21 cfs | → |
| Lehigh River At Stoddartsville | 159 cfs | → |
| Lehigh R Bl Francis E Walter Res Nr White Haven Pa | 404 cfs | → |
| Pohopoco Creek At Kresgeville | 53 cfs | → |
| Pohopoco Cr Bl Beltzville Dam Nr Parryville | 98 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Placid Lake.
Boat launches
- Francis E. Walter Dam Road Kidder Township
- Francis E. Walter Dam Road Luzerne County
- Brady's Lake
- Preachers Camp
- Pine Run
- Gouldsboro State Park
Track Placid 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 Placid Lake
Where does the data for Placid 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 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 Placid Lake.