Hortonville dam
Hortonville
Hortonville, located in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, is home to the Black Otter Creek dam, a gravity type structure completed in 1915 for recreational purposes. The dam stands at 18 feet high with a hydraulic height of 12 feet, providing a storage capacity of 700 acre-feet and a drainage area of 15.7 square miles. The dam has a controlled spillway with a width of 60 feet and a maximum discharge capacity of 3460 cubic feet per second.
Despite its satisfactory condition assessment, the dam poses a high hazard potential and is categorized as a very high risk (1) structure. The last inspection was conducted in July 2019, with an inspection frequency of every two years. The State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) regulates the dam and ensures its compliance with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement requirements. With its rich history and importance for recreation, Hortonville's Black Otter Creek dam serves as a vital water resource in the region, while also highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and risk management measures.
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 Hortonville -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Wolf River At New London | 2,940 cfs | → |
| Fox River At Appleton | 8,310 cfs | → |
| Little Wolf River At Royalton | -999,999 cfs | → |
| Waupaca River Near Waupaca | 431 cfs | → |
| Fox River At Oshkosh | 5,780 cfs | → |
| East River At Ct Highway Zz Near Greenleaf | 8 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Hortonville.
Boat launches
- Wolf River -- Hwy X Boat Launch - New London
- Wolf River -- Access - Off County Road X - Town Of Mukwa
- Wolf River -- Shaw Landing Access
- Little Lake Butte Des Morts -- Menasha - Fritze Park Access
- Lake Butte Des Morts -- Ninth Street Boat Launch
- Fox River -- Appleton - Lutz Park Ramps
Campgrounds
Track Hortonville 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 Hortonville
Where does the data for Hortonville 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 Hortonville.