Mill Creek 9a dam
Mill Creek 9a
Mill Creek 9a, also known as Brindley, is a significant earth dam located in Richland County, Wisconsin, specifically in the city of Boaz. Constructed in 1965 by the USDA NRCS, this dam serves primarily for flood risk reduction purposes along the Mill Creek offstream. With a height of 29 feet and a length of 600 feet, the dam has a storage capacity of 220 acre-feet and a maximum discharge of 572 cubic feet per second.
Managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Mill Creek 9a is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced as part of the state's water resource management efforts. Its condition assessment in 2017 rated as fair, with a significant hazard potential. Despite its moderate risk level, the dam lacks specific risk management measures and emergency action plans, highlighting potential areas for improvement in ensuring public safety and environmental protection in the event of emergencies. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Mill Creek 9a offers a fascinating case study in dam infrastructure and risk assessment within the context of local government ownership and regulation.
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 Mill Creek 9a -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Kickapoo River At La Farge | 250 cfs | → |
| Wisconsin River At Muscoda | 10,400 cfs | → |
| Kickapoo River At State Highway 33 At Ontario | 149 cfs | → |
| Kickapoo River At Steuben | 631 cfs | → |
| La Crosse River At Sparta | 209 cfs | → |
| Lemonweir River At New Lisbon | 326 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Mill Creek 9a.
Boat launches
- West Main Street La Farge
- State Highway 131 La Farge
- Wisconsin River -- Port Andrews Boat Landing
- Wisconsin River -- Rice Lakes
- Wisconsin River -- Blue River Landing
- Wisconsin River -- Eagle Corners Access
Campgrounds
- La Farge City Park
- Anderson Campground - Soldiers Grove
- Beauford T. Anderson Park
- Pier Natural Bridge County Park
- Campsite H
- Eagle Cave Campground
Fishing spots
- New Albin Big Lake
- Paint Creek
- Little Paint Creek
- French Creek
- Hickory Creek
- Fishing Dock Handicapped Accessible
Paddle runs
- Lone Rock To The Confluence Of The Green And Wisconsin Rivers
- The Big Green River To The River's Mouth At The Mississippi River
- Western Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument To Boundary Of Effigy Mounds National Monument
- Honey Creek (County Road Y On The Southern Bank) To The State Route 130 Highway Bridge Crossing At Lone Rock
- The "Lower" Dam, Near The Confluence Of Coon Creek To Lane's Bridge
Track Mill Creek 9a 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 Mill Creek 9a
Where does the data for Mill Creek 9a 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 Mill Creek 9a.