Sels Dam is an earth dam located in Van Buren County, Iowa, built in 1957. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 23 ft23 ft tall and 603 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 Sels Dam
The primary purpose of Sels Dam is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by Otto Sels (private).
The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 603 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 126 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1957, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 12/19/1960. That was over 65 years ago.
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Location
| State | Iowa |
| County | Van Buren |
| Nearest City | Cantril |
| Coordinates | 40.63370, -92.13370 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Length | 603 ft |
| Year Completed | 1957 (69 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 126 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 126 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 25 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond |
| Owner | Otto Sels |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 12/19/1960 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IA01102 |
| Federal ID | IA01102 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |