Horseshoe Lake Dam

About Horseshoe Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Horseshoe Lake Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Matney, Mike Et Al (private). It impounds the Tr - Cottonwood Creek near Chewelah.

The dam stands 45 feet tall and stretches 120 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 30 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,280 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 2003, the structure is relatively new.

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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/30/2015. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 45 feet, this dam is taller than 91% 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 Washington dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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