Phillips Lake Dam dam
Phillips Lake Dam
Phillips Lake Dam in Hillister, Texas, is a privately owned earth dam completed in 1938 for the primary purpose of water supply. The dam, standing at a height of 15 feet and a length of 420 feet, impounds Spurlock Branch to create a reservoir with a storage capacity of 50 acre-feet. With a normal storage level of 36 acre-feet, the dam serves as a critical water resource for the surrounding area.
Despite its age, Phillips Lake Dam has not been rated for its condition and does not have a designated emergency action plan. The dam's hazard potential is listed as "Not Available," but its risk assessment is considered high. With no spillway and only one outlet gate, the dam's risk management measures are unspecified. In the event of a dam failure, the downstream community would face significant inundation risks, highlighting the importance of ongoing inspections and updates to ensure the safety and reliability of this crucial water resource infrastructure.
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 Phillips Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Neches Rv Nr Town Bluff | 4,390 cfs | → |
| Neches Rv Nr Rockland | 1,370 cfs | → |
| Village Ck Nr Kountze | 1,210 cfs | → |
| Menard Ck Nr Rye | 59 cfs | → |
| Neches Rv At Evadale | 4,880 cfs | → |
| Long King Ck At Livingston | 19 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Phillips Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Tyler County
- Jasper County
- Fm 418 Boat Ramp
- Baby Galvez Landing
- Sandy Creek Public Boat Ramp
- Us 96 Hardin County
Campgrounds
- Lake Tejas City Park
- B.A. Steinhagen Lake Campground
- Campers Cove - Town Bluff Reservoir
- Magnolia Ridge - Town Bluff Reservoir
- Indian Village Campground
- Martin Dies State Park
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Preserve Boundary In The Big Sandy Unit To Confluence With Big Sandy Creek
- Town Bluff Dam To Hwy 96 Bridge
- Confluence With Big Sandy Creek To Confluence With The Neches River
- Preserve Boundary Of The Big Sandy Unit To Confluence With Village Creek
- Us Highway 69 To Ba Steinhagen Reservoir
- Preserve Boundary In The Big Sandy Unit To Confluence With Trinity River
Track Phillips Lake Dam 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 Phillips Lake Dam
Where does the data for Phillips Lake Dam 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 Not Available 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 Phillips Lake Dam.