Nickels Lake Dam dam
Nickels Lake Dam
Nickels Lake Dam, located in Cass, Texas, was completed in 1960 and serves primarily for recreational purposes. This private earth dam, with a height of 36 feet and a length of 500 feet, is situated on Beach Creek and has a storage capacity of 250 acre-feet. Despite being privately owned, the dam is subject to state permitting and inspection requirements to ensure its safety and compliance with regulations.
Although the dam has no spillway and is not rated for its condition, it is considered to have a high risk potential. While the hazard potential is not available, the risk assessment ranks at a level 2. The dam's emergency action plan status, contact information, and inundation maps are not readily available, suggesting a need for improved risk management measures and emergency preparedness for this structure.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Nickels Lake Dam presents an intriguing case study of a privately owned recreational dam in Texas. With its unique design features and risk assessment status, this dam offers an opportunity to explore the challenges and considerations involved in managing and maintaining small-scale dams in the face of changing environmental conditions and regulatory requirements.
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 Nickels Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphur Rv Nr Texarkana | 2,030 cfs | → |
| Red River At Spring Bank | 4,680 cfs | → |
| Black Cypress Bayou At Jefferson | 35 cfs | → |
| Big Cypress Ck Abv Sh 43 Nr Karnack | 167 cfs | → |
| Little Cypress Ck Nr Jefferson | 147 cfs | → |
| Big Cypress Ck Nr Jefferson | 15 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Nickels Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Pr 42 Cass County
- County Road 2118 Cass County
- Bowie County
- Kickapoo Lodge Road Cass County
- Mercer Bayou Boat Ramp #2
- County Road 151 Miller County
Campgrounds
- Atlanta State Park
- Jackson Creek Park - Lake Texarkana
- Cass County Park
- Rocky Point - Wright Patman Lake
- Kelly Creek Park - Lake Wright Patman
- Piney Point - Wright Patman Lake
Fishing spots
Track Nickels 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 Nickels Lake Dam
Where does the data for Nickels 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 Nickels Lake Dam.