Nelson Dam

Nelson Dam is an earth dam located in Clay County, Iowa, built in 1999. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Nelson Dam

The primary purpose of Nelson Dam is grade stabilization. Grade stabilization dams prevent erosion by reducing the slope and velocity of water flowing through a channel. They're commonly used to stop gullies from deepening and to protect downstream land and infrastructure. The dam is owned by David Nelson (private). It impounds the Tr-elk Creek near Gillett Grove.

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 314 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 37 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1999, the structure is 27 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateIowa
CountyClay
Nearest CityGillett Grove
River/StreamTr-elk Creek
Coordinates43.05110, -94.99560

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height26 ft
Dam Height26 ft
Dam Length314 ft
Year Completed1999 (27 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage37 acre-ft
Max Storage37 acre-ft
Normal Storage17 acre-ft
Surface Area3 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeGrade Stabilization
OwnerDavid Nelson
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDIA03921
Federal IDIA03921
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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