Bear Claw Love No. 1 dam
Bear Claw Love No. 1
Bear Claw Love No. 1 is a privately-owned irrigation dam located in Sheridan, Wyoming, specifically in the city of Dayton along the North Fork Smith Creek. Constructed in 1966 by designer Walter J. Pilch, this earth-type dam stands at 44 feet tall with a hydraulic height of 38 feet and a structural height of 53 feet. With a storage capacity of 268 acre-feet, the dam serves multiple purposes including fire protection, stock watering, and irrigation, making it a crucial water resource for the area.
Despite its importance, Bear Claw Love No. 1 poses a high hazard potential due to its condition assessment rating of 'Fair.' The dam has a spillway width of 75 feet and an uncontrolled spillway type, with a maximum discharge capacity of 769 cubic feet per second. While the last inspection in June 2017 revealed moderate risk with a risk assessment rating of 3, the dam is regularly inspected every five years to ensure its safety and functionality. As climate change continues to impact water resources, it is essential to monitor and maintain infrastructure like Bear Claw Love No. 1 to secure water availability for irrigation and other uses 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 Bear Claw Love No. 1 -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tongue River Near Dayton | 48 cfs | → |
| East Pass Creek Near Dayton | 12 cfs | → |
| West Pass Creek Near Parkman | 10 cfs | → |
| Tongue River At Monarch | 383 cfs | → |
| Little Bighorn River At State Line Nr Wyola Mt | 327 cfs | → |
| Goose Creek Near Acme | 123 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Bear Claw Love No. 1.
Campgrounds
- Tongue Canyon Campground
- Tongue River Camp - Amsden Creek Wma
- Connor Battlefield State Park
- Arrowhead Lodge
- Pine Island Group Campground
- Sibley Lake Campground
Fishing spots
- Tongue River Fishing Site
- Tongue River Fishing East
- Tongue River Fishing West
- Sheridan Fairgrounds Pond
- Upper Paintrock Fishing Site
- Lake Desmet
Paddle runs
- Bridge At Tongue River Canyon To Burgess Picnic Grounds
- Sf Tongue- Johnson Creek To Confluence With Nf Tongue
- Nf Tongue From Burgess Picnic Ground To Pole Creek
- Dry Fork River From Its Confluence With Lake Creek To Confluence With Little Big Horn
- Wagon Box Creek To Dry Fork Trail
- Fools Gold Crossing (Fdr 480) To Wagon Box Creek
More reservoirs
Track Bear Claw Love No. 1 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 Bear Claw Love No. 1
Where does the data for Bear Claw Love No. 1 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 Bear Claw Love No. 1.