Youngs Lake Cascades Dam dam
Youngs Lake Cascades Dam
Youngs Lake Cascades Dam, also known as Inlet Dam, is a significant earth dam located in King County, Washington, along the Tr-Cedar River. Built in 1950 by the local government for water supply purposes, this dam stands at a hydraulic height of 16 feet and has a storage capacity of 35,450 acre-feet. With a drainage area of 2.19 square miles and a surface area of 690 acres, this dam plays a crucial role in water resource management in the region.
Managed by the Washington Department of Ecology, Youngs Lake Cascades Dam is state-regulated, inspected, and enforced to ensure its structural integrity and safe operation. The dam is classified as having a significant hazard potential, but its condition assessment in 2019 deemed it satisfactory. Emergency action plans are in place, and regular inspections are conducted to assess any potential risks and mitigate them effectively.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, the Youngs Lake Cascades Dam serves as a vital infrastructure supporting water supply in the region. With its impressive storage capacity and strategic location along the Tr-Cedar River, this earth dam plays a crucial role in managing water resources and ensuring the safety and well-being of the surrounding communities. The dam's state-regulated status and satisfactory condition assessment highlight the commitment to maintaining its structural integrity and mitigating potential risks for the benefit of all stakeholders involved.
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 Youngs Lake Cascades Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek Near Maple Valley | 2 cfs | → |
| Issaquah Creek Near Hobart | 27 cfs | → |
| Spring Brook Creek At Orillia | 6 cfs | → |
| Mill Creek At Earthworks Park At Kent | 1 cfs | → |
| Rock Creek At Highway 516 Near Ravensdale | 11 cfs | → |
| Cedar River At Renton | 339 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Youngs Lake Cascades Dam.
Boat launches
- Shady Lake Boat Ramp
- 148th Avenue Southeast Kent
- Southeast 296th Street 22601, Black Diamond
- Lake Fenwick Trail Kent
- Southeast Green Valley Road 12507-12565, Auburn
- King County
Campgrounds
- Kanaskat-Palmer State Park Campground
- Kanaskat Palmer Recreation Area
- Point Robinson Campground
- Dash Point State Park
- Dash Point Campground
- Tolt-Macdonald Park Campground
Paddle runs
- Snoqualmie Falls To Plum's Landing
- Wagner Bridge To Confluence With Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
- Confluence With Taylor River To Confluence With North Fork Snoqualmie River
- Huckleberry Creek To Confluence With Clearwater River
- Quartz Road To Confluence With Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
- Alpine Lakes Wilderness Boundary To Quartz Creek Road
Track Youngs Lake Cascades 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 Youngs Lake Cascades Dam
Where does the data for Youngs Lake Cascades 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 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 Youngs Lake Cascades Dam.