Crooked Creek Lake Dam

Crooked Creek Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Brown County, Indiana, built in 1935. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.

About Crooked Creek Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Crooked Creek Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Department Of Natural Resources (state). It impounds the Crooked Creek.

The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 450 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 16 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 210 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1935, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/28/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.

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.

High HazardFair ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateIndiana
CountyBrown
River/StreamCrooked Creek
Coordinates39.12404, -86.29924

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height34 ft
Dam Height32 ft
Dam Length450 ft
Year Completed1935 (91 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage210 acre-ft
Max Storage210 acre-ft
Normal Storage106 acre-ft
Surface Area16 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge1,989 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerDEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentFair
Last Inspection06/28/2018
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDIN00274
Federal IDIN00274
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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