Ferne Clyffe Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Johnson County, Illinois, built in 1960. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 33 ft33 ft tall and 800 ft long, taller than 76% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. 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 Ferne Clyffe Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Ferne Clyffe Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (state). It impounds the Trib Buck Branch near Belknap.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 800 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 256 acre-feet. Completed in 1960, 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 11/22/2023.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 76% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Johnson |
| Nearest City | Belknap |
| River/Stream | Trib Buck Branch |
| Coordinates | 37.53361, -88.97729 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 800 ft |
| Year Completed | 1960 (66 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 256 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 256 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 174 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/22/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00027 |
| Federal ID | IL00027 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |