New Fork Lake dam
New Fork Lake
New Fork Lake in Sublette, Wyoming, is a privately owned reservoir built in 1925 primarily for irrigation purposes. The dam, standing at 37 feet high and with a storage capacity of 25,700 acre-feet, is located on the West Fork of the New Fork River. The lake covers a surface area of 1,416 acres and has a drainage area of 31.9 square miles.
With a spillway width of 60 feet and a maximum discharge of 2,260 cubic feet per second, New Fork Lake is equipped to handle high hazard potential. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates, including slide gates and uncontrolled outlets. Regular inspections are conducted, with the last assessment done in August 2020, and the dam is regulated, permitted, and inspected by the Wyoming State Engineer's Office. Despite being privately owned, the dam is subject to state jurisdiction and enforcement.
New Fork Lake provides a vital water resource for irrigation in the region, serving as a key component of the local water infrastructure. Its strategic location in the West Fork of the New Fork River contributes to the overall water management system in the area. Enthusiasts interested in water resources and climate would find New Fork Lake a fascinating example of human-engineered infrastructure interacting with natural hydrological processes in the Wyoming landscape.
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 New Fork Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Green River At Warren Bridge | 929 cfs | → |
| Pine Creek Above Fremont Lake | 655 cfs | → |
| Dinwoody Creek Above Lakes | 208 cfs | → |
| Wind River Above Red Creek | 1,820 cfs | → |
| Wind River Near Dubois | 545 cfs | → |
| New Fork River Near Big Piney | 1,080 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near New Fork Lake.
Boat launches
- Green River Access Site 12 Boat Ramp
- Green River Access Site 8 Boat Launch
- Green River Access Site 6 Boat Launch
- Green River Access Site 5 Boat Ramp
- Green River Access Site 3 Boat Launch
- Green River Access Site 2 Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- New Fork Lake
- New Fork Group Campground
- New Fork Lake Campground
- Camp New Fork
- The Narrows Campground
- Green River Access Site 9 Campsite 1
Fishing spots
Track New Fork 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 New Fork Lake
Where does the data for New Fork 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 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 New Fork Lake.