Miller Park Lake Dam is an earth dam located in McLean County, Illinois, built in 1928. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 33 ft33 ft tall and 1,300 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 Miller Park Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Miller Park Lake 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 Bloomington (local government). It impounds the Trib Goose Creek near Bloomington.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 1,300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 13 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 172 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1928, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 11/10/2025.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 76% 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 | McLean |
| Nearest City | Bloomington |
| River/Stream | Trib Goose Creek |
| Coordinates | 40.46621, -89.00595 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,300 ft |
| Year Completed | 1928 (98 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 172 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 172 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 110 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 13 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 725 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Bloomington |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/10/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00286 |
| Federal ID | IL00286 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |