Downing Pond Dam is a dam located in Madison County, Illinois, built in 1967. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 32 ft32 ft tall and 230 ft long, taller than 74% 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 Downing Pond Dam
The primary purpose of Downing Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is private-owned. It impounds the Lick Branch-offstream near Alton.
The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 230 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 65 acre-feet. Completed in 1967, 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 08/20/2025.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Madison |
| Nearest City | Alton |
| River/Stream | Lick Branch-offstream |
| Coordinates | 38.94576, -90.09353 |
Physical Characteristics
| NID Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Length | 230 ft |
| Year Completed | 1967 (59 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 65 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 65 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 49 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/20/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00183 |
| Federal ID | IL00183 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |