Bails Timberline Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Fayette County, Illinois, built in 1966. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 33 ft33 ft tall and 300 ft long, taller than 76% 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 Bails Timberline Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Bails Timberline Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Dewey Bail (private). It impounds the Brickyard Branch-offstream near Vandalia.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 197 acre-feet. Completed in 1966, 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 10/02/2023.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 76% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Fayette |
| Nearest City | Vandalia |
| River/Stream | Brickyard Branch-offstream |
| Coordinates | 39.03927, -88.86569 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 300 ft |
| Year Completed | 1966 (60 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 197 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 197 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 153 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Dewey Bail |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/02/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00885 |
| Federal ID | IL00885 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |