Lake Geneva Dam

Lake Geneva Dam is an earth dam located in Switzerland County, Indiana, built in 1944. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

About Lake Geneva Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Geneva Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Danny L And Toddalene L Cupp (private). It impounds the Upper Indian Creek.

The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 460 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 18 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 303 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1944, 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 06/25/2015. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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 HazardPoor ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateIndiana
CountySwitzerland
River/StreamUpper Indian Creek
Coordinates38.85435, -85.03412

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height30 ft
Dam Height30 ft
Dam Length460 ft
Year Completed1944 (82 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage303 acre-ft
Max Storage303 acre-ft
Normal Storage194 acre-ft
Surface Area18 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge444 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerDANNY L AND TODDALENE L CUPP
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection06/25/2015
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDIN00422
Federal IDIN00422
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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