Little Rice Lake dam
Little Rice Lake
Little Rice Lake is a picturesque reservoir located in Forest, Wisconsin, owned and regulated by the state's Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR). This gravity dam, completed in 1936, serves primarily for recreational purposes, offering a surface area of 1219 acres and a normal storage capacity of 2400 acre-feet. Situated on the Wolf River and spanning 260 feet in length, the dam stands at 8 feet high with a hydraulic height of 5 feet.
Despite its low hazard potential and satisfactory condition assessment, Little Rice Lake presents a very high risk due to its potential impact on the surrounding area. The dam undergoes regular inspections every 10 years, with the last assessment conducted in November 2017. To ensure public safety, emergency action plans are in place, although they may need updating to meet current guidelines. Overall, this dam provides both a recreational haven and a potential risk management challenge for water resource and climate enthusiasts in the region.
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 Little Rice Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Popple River Near Fence | 127 cfs | → |
| Wolf River At Langlade | 396 cfs | → |
| Wisconsin River @ Rainbow Lake Nr Lake Tomahawk | 838 cfs | → |
| Muskellunge Ck-Muskellunge L Otl-Nr Eagle River | 2 cfs | → |
| Muskellunge Creek Near St. Germain | 9 cfs | → |
| Peshtigo River Near Wabeno | 443 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Little Rice Lake.
Boat launches
- Pine Lake -- Access At Adjacent To Us Forest Svc Campground
- Hiles Mill Pond -- Access
- Ginty Lake -- Access
- Lake Lucerne Boat Launch
- Margaret Lake -- Access
- Wabikon Lake -- Access
Campgrounds
- Pine Lake Recreation Area Campground
- Jack Pine
- Crockett Campsite
- Whitney Campsite
- Camp Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan
- Laurel Lake Recreation Area
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- North Branch (Sections 19/30 Line) To Unnamed Creek In Sec 4, T37n, R13e
- Unnamed Creek To Forest Boundary In Sec 14, T37n, R13e
- North Branch--Origin In Sec 10, T38n, R13e To 1/4 Mile West Of Highway 55
- 1/4 Mile West Of Highway 55 To Confluence With Main Branch
- Main Branch--Origin In Sec 23, T38n, R13e To Forest Road 2167
- Main Branch--Headwaters To Forest Road 2174
Track Little Rice Lake 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 Little Rice Lake
Where does the data for Little Rice Lake 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 Low 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 Little Rice Lake.