Lake Rice Dam is an earth dam located in Knox County, Illinois, built in 1895. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 585 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 Lake Rice Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Rice Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Soanggetaha Country Club (private). It impounds the Trib Court Creek near East Galesburg(randall).
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 585 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 66 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,511 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1895, 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 08/28/2025.
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 | Knox |
| Nearest City | East Galesburg(randall) |
| River/Stream | Trib Court Creek |
| Coordinates | 40.94841, -90.32594 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 585 ft |
| Year Completed | 1895 (131 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,511 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,511 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 878 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 66 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 8,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Soanggetaha Country Club |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/28/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00421 |
| Federal ID | IL00421 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |