Lake Iowa Dam

Lake Iowa Dam is an earth dam located in Iowa County, Iowa, built in 1962. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.

About Lake Iowa Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Iowa Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Iowa County Conservation Board (local government). It impounds the Pig Creek near Riverside.

The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 893 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 92 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,950 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1962, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 05/24/2023.

At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 87% of dams nationwide.

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Significant HazardFair ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateIowa
CountyIowa
Nearest CityRiverside
River/StreamPig Creek
Coordinates41.63350, -92.17170

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height40 ft
Dam Height40 ft
Dam Length893 ft
Year Completed1962 (64 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,950 acre-ft
Max Storage1,950 acre-ft
Normal Storage1,110 acre-ft
Surface Area92 acres
Drainage Area2 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerIowa County Conservation Board
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentFair
Last Inspection05/24/2023
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDIA00520
Federal IDIA00520
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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