Lake Christine Dam
Lake Christine Dam is an earth dam located in St. Clair County, Illinois, built in 1894. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Lake Christine Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Christine Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Lake Christine Property Owners Assoc. (private). It impounds the Trib Richland Creek near Belleville.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 350 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 223 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1894, the structure is over a century 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 09/12/2025.
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 | St. Clair |
| Nearest City | Belleville |
| River/Stream | Trib Richland Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.54384, -89.96017 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 350 ft |
| Year Completed | 1894 (132 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 223 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 223 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 67 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 15 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,014 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | LAKE CHRISTINE PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOC. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Available |
| Last Inspection | 09/12/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00370 |
| Federal ID | IL00370 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |