Orleans Lake Dam
Orleans Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Orange County, Indiana, built in 1950. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Orleans Lake Dam
Orleans Lake Dam is a dam in Orange, Indiana. The dam is owned by Town Of Orleans (local government). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Lost River.
The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 1,783 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 24 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 299 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/18/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Indiana dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Indiana |
| County | Orange |
| River/Stream | Unnamed Tributary Lost River |
| Coordinates | 38.67579, -86.44689 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,783 ft |
| Year Completed | 1950 (76 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 299 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 299 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 95 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 24 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 6,993 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | TOWN OF ORLEANS |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 04/18/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IN00005 |
| Federal ID | IN00005 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |