Tower Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Madison County, Illinois, built in 1964. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 61 ft61 ft tall and 700 ft long, taller than 95% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Tower Lake Dam
Tower Lake Dam is a dam in Madison, Illinois. The dam is owned by Southern Illinois University (local government). It impounds the Trib Cahokia Creek near Edwardsville-offstream.
The dam stands 61 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 65 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,527 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1964, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/27/2023.
At 61 feet, this dam is taller than 95% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Madison |
| Nearest City | Edwardsville-offstream |
| River/Stream | Trib Cahokia Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.80591, -90.00393 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 61 ft |
| Dam Height | 61 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1964 (62 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,527 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,527 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,138 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 65 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 973 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | Southern Illinois University |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/27/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00185 |
| Federal ID | IL00185 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |