Litchfield City Lake Dam
Litchfield City Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Montgomery County, Illinois, built in 1925. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Litchfield City Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Litchfield City 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 Litchfield (local government). It impounds the Trib West Fork Shoal Creek near Panama.
The dam stands 51 feet tall and stretches 565 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 370 acre-feet. Completed in 1925, 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 12/17/2025.
At 51 feet, this dam is taller than 93% 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 | Montgomery |
| Nearest City | Panama |
| River/Stream | Trib West Fork Shoal Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.17535, -89.61059 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 51 ft |
| Dam Height | 51 ft |
| Dam Length | 565 ft |
| Year Completed | 1925 (101 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 370 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 370 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 303 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | CITY OF LITCHFIELD |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Available |
| Last Inspection | 12/17/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00695 |
| Federal ID | IL00695 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |