Lake Shenandoah Dam dam
Lake Shenandoah Dam
Lake Shenandoah Dam, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, serves as a vital water resource and recreational hub for the community. Managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, this earth dam stands at a height of 31 feet and has a storage capacity of 720 acre-feet, providing essential water for the surrounding area. Despite its crucial role, the dam's condition assessment is marked as poor, with a high hazard potential, indicating the need for immediate attention and potential maintenance to ensure its structural integrity.
With a primary purpose of recreation, Lake Shenandoah Dam offers a serene setting for outdoor activities and water sports, attracting visitors from near and far. The dam, built on Congers Run and North River-Mill Creek, covers a surface area of 36 acres and boasts a drainage area of 4.5 square miles. However, the dam's inspection frequency of once a year, coupled with its poor condition assessment, raises concerns about its long-term sustainability and safety.
The recent inspection in March 2020 revealed the dam's deteriorating condition, prompting a call for enhanced risk management measures and potential emergency action preparedness. As climate change impacts water resources and infrastructure, the maintenance and upkeep of structures like Lake Shenandoah Dam are paramount in safeguarding both the environment and the community's well-being. Addressing the dam's poor condition and high hazard potential is essential to ensure the continued availability of water resources and the safety of all who enjoy this picturesque recreation spot.
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 Lake Shenandoah Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| North River Near Burketown | 105 cfs | → |
| S F Shenandoah River Near Lynnwood | 265 cfs | → |
| Middle River Near Grottoes | 76 cfs | → |
| Muddy Creek At Mount Clinton | 1 cfs | → |
| South River At Harriston | 96 cfs | → |
| Linville Creek At Broadway | 5 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Shenandoah Dam.
Boat launches
- Lake Shenandoah Trail Rockingham County
- Grove Hill River Road Page County
- Us 340 Business Page County
- Bixlers Ferry Rd Page County
Campgrounds
- Boone Shelter
- Camp Site
- Dundo
- Loft Mountain Campground
- Loft Mountain - Shenandoah National Park
- Hone Quarry Campground
Fishing spots
- Briery Branch Day Use Area
- Staunton Dam Day Use Area
- Elkhorn Lake Day Use Area
- Braley Pond Day Use Area
- Tomahawk Pond Day Use Area
- Bealers Ferry Boat Launch
Paddle runs
- North River Campground To Camp May Flather
- Headwaters South Of Flint Mountain To St. Mary's Wilderness Boundary
- Nf Boundary Along The South Fork Tye River Near Fdt 526 And State Highway 56 To Town Of Nash
- Canyon Exit To Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks Nra Boundary
- Big Bend Campground To Canyon Exit (Just Prior To Confluence With North Branch)
- Ford Where Route 609 Departs From Route 678 To Confluence With Cowpasture River
Track Lake Shenandoah 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 Lake Shenandoah Dam
Where does the data for Lake Shenandoah 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 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 Lake Shenandoah Dam.