Swearington Lake Dam
Swearington Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Mercer County, Illinois, built in 1973. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
About Swearington Lake Dam
Swearington Lake Dam is a dam in Mercer, Illinois. The dam is owned by Vernon Swearingen (private). It impounds the Trib Pope Creek near Sunbeam-offstream.
The dam stands 39 feet tall and stretches 260 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 78 acre-feet. Completed in 1973, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
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 05/02/2025.
At 39 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Mercer |
| Nearest City | Sunbeam-offstream |
| River/Stream | Trib Pope Creek |
| Coordinates | 41.19431, -90.67375 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 39 ft |
| Dam Height | 39 ft |
| Dam Length | 260 ft |
| Year Completed | 1973 (53 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 78 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 78 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 66 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | VERNON SWEARINGEN |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not Available |
| Last Inspection | 05/02/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00521 |
| Federal ID | IL00521 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |