Zosel Dam dam
Zosel Dam
Zosel Dam, also known as the Osoyoos Lake Control Dam, is a gravity dam located within the city limits of Oroville in Washington. Completed in 1986, this state-regulated structure on the Okanogan River serves primarily for irrigation purposes, with additional benefits for recreation. The dam stands at a hydraulic height of 16 feet and a structural height of 12 feet, with a length of 366 feet and a capacity to store up to 300,000 acre-feet of water.
With a hazard potential rated as high, Zosel Dam has been assessed to be in satisfactory condition as of the last inspection in 2019. The Washington Department of Ecology oversees the regulation, inspection, and enforcement of this vital water resource infrastructure. Despite its age, the dam continues to provide essential water supply for the region, covering a surface area of 5800 acres and benefiting from a drainage area of 3150 acres. The dam's maximum discharge capacity reaches 18,225 cubic feet per second, ensuring efficient water management for downstream users.
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 Zosel Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Okanogan River At Oroville | 164 cfs | → |
| Similkameen River Near Nighthawk | 4,950 cfs | → |
| Okanogan River Near Tonasket | 5,120 cfs | → |
| Kettle River Near Ferry | 2,540 cfs | → |
| Andrews Creek Near Mazama | 107 cfs | → |
| Omak Creek Near Omak | 3 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Zosel Dam.
Boat launches
- Deep Bay Road 98, Oroville
- Loomis-Oroville Road 1667, Loomis
- Split Rock
- Loomis-Oroville Road 322, Tonasket
- Windy Flat Road Okanogan County
- Southwest Bonaparte Lake Road, Tonasket
Campgrounds
- Osoyoos Lake Park
- Miners Flat
- Smilkameen
- Palmer Lake- State Forest
- Palmer Lake Campground (Dnr)
- Palmer Mountain
Track Zosel 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 Zosel Dam
Where does the data for Zosel 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 Zosel Dam.