Lake Oelwein Dam is a gravity dam located in Fayette County, Iowa, built in 1908. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 16 ft16 ft tall and 195 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Lake Oelwein Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Oelwein Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City of Oelwein (local government). It impounds the Otter Creek near Hazleton.
The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 195 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 50 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 200 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 41 square miles. Completed in 1908, the structure is over a century 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 07/26/1988. That was over 38 years ago.
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Location
| State | Iowa |
| County | Fayette |
| Nearest City | Hazleton |
| River/Stream | Otter Creek |
| Coordinates | 42.64660, -91.91590 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Length | 195 ft |
| Year Completed | 1908 (118 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 200 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 200 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 88 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 50 acres |
| Drainage Area | 41 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Oelwein |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/26/1988 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IA01343 |
| Federal ID | IA01343 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |