Chautauqua Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Jackson County, Illinois, built in 1965. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 560 ft long, taller than 80% 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 Chautauqua Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Chautauqua Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Chautauqua Lake Property Owners Assoc. (private). It impounds the Trib MUD Creek near Murphysboro.
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 560 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 138 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 805 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1965, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/08/2025.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Illinois dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Jackson |
| Nearest City | Murphysboro |
| River/Stream | Trib MUD Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.72702, -89.30228 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 560 ft |
| Year Completed | 1965 (61 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 805 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 805 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 360 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 138 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 911 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Chautauqua Lake Property Owners Assoc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/08/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00104 |
| Federal ID | IL00104 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |