Lake Jefferson

Lake Jefferson is a gravity dam located in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, built in 1938. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Lake Jefferson

The primary purpose of Lake Jefferson is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Mndnr-trails (state). It impounds the Big Cannon River - Tr near Waterville.

The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 15 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 700 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 25,489 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 16 square miles. Completed in 1938, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 05/27/2008. That was over 17 years ago.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateMinnesota
CountyLe Sueur
Nearest CityWaterville
River/StreamBig Cannon River - Tr
Coordinates44.27787, -93.74338

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeGravity
NID Height9 ft
Dam Height7 ft
Dam Length15 ft
Year Completed1938 (88 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage25,489 acre-ft
Max Storage25,489 acre-ft
Normal Storage18,544 acre-ft
Surface Area700 acres
Drainage Area16 sq mi
Max Discharge265 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerMNDNR-Trails
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection05/27/2008
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDMN00155
Federal IDMN00155
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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