Lake Mt. Sterling Dam is an earth dam located in Brown County, Illinois, built in 1935. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 38 ft38 ft tall and 382 ft long, taller than 84% 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 Mt. Sterling Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Mt. Sterling 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 Mount Sterling (local government). It impounds the South Fork Shelby Creek near Ripley.
The dam stands 38 feet tall and stretches 382 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 365 acre-feet. Completed in 1935, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 05/20/2024.
At 38 feet, this dam is taller than 84% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Brown |
| Nearest City | Ripley |
| River/Stream | South Fork Shelby Creek |
| Coordinates | 40.01034, -90.75241 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 38 ft |
| Dam Height | 38 ft |
| Dam Length | 382 ft |
| Year Completed | 1935 (91 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 365 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 365 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 281 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of Mount Sterling |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 05/20/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00489 |
| Federal ID | IL00489 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |