Buffalo Hills Lake Dam

Buffalo Hills Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Noble County, Ohio, built in 1973. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

About Buffalo Hills Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Buffalo Hills Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Buffalo Hills Rv Resort, Llc (private). It impounds the Tributary To Opossum Run near Walhonding.

The dam stands 15 feet tall and stretches 387 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 18 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1973, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 11/10/2022.

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Significant HazardPoor ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateOhio
CountyNoble
Nearest CityWalhonding
River/StreamTributary To Opossum Run
Coordinates39.88750, -81.43278

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height15 ft
Dam Height15 ft
Dam Length387 ft
Year Completed1973 (53 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage18 acre-ft
Max Storage18 acre-ft
Normal Storage9 acre-ft
Surface Area2 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge502 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerBuffalo Hills RV Resort, LLC
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection11/10/2022
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDOH02234
Federal IDOH02234
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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