Fairbank Dam is a gravity dam located in Buchanan County, Iowa, built in 1880. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 290 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 Fairbank Dam
The primary purpose of Fairbank 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 Fairbank (local government). It impounds the Little Wapsipinicon River near Fairbank.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 290 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 70 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 413 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 125 square miles. Completed in 1880, 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.
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Location
| State | Iowa |
| County | Buchanan |
| Nearest City | Fairbank |
| River/Stream | Little Wapsipinicon River |
| Coordinates | 42.63960, -92.05210 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Length | 290 ft |
| Year Completed | 1880 (146 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 413 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 413 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 413 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 70 acres |
| Drainage Area | 125 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Fairbank |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IA01939 |
| Federal ID | IA01939 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |