Olson Dam is an earth dam located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, built in 1972. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 21 ft21 ft tall and 350 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Olson Dam
The primary purpose of Olson Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Frederick J Olson (private). It impounds the Ideal Creek near Portland.
The dam stands 21 feet tall and stretches 350 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 80 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1972, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
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.
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Location
| State | Iowa |
| County | Cerro Gordo |
| Nearest City | Portland |
| River/Stream | Ideal Creek |
| Coordinates | 43.16010, -93.12850 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Length | 350 ft |
| Year Completed | 1972 (54 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 80 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 80 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 22 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Frederick J Olson |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IA00179 |
| Federal ID | IA00179 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |