Lake Waubesa
Lake Waubesa is a gravity dam located in Dane County, Wisconsin, built in 1938. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Lake Waubesa
The primary purpose of Lake Waubesa is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by Dane County (local government). It impounds the Yahara near Mcfarland.
The dam stands 10 feet tall and stretches 200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5,448 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 50,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 350 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 10/31/2012. That was over 13 years ago.
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Location
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Dane |
| Nearest City | Mcfarland |
| River/Stream | Yahara |
| Coordinates | 43.00872, -89.30521 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Length | 200 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 50,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 50,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5,448 acres |
| Drainage Area | 350 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 5,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Navigation |
| Owner | Dane County |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/31/2012 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WI01057 |
| Federal ID | WI01057 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |