Carpentersville Dam is a concrete dam located in Kane County, Illinois, built in 1916. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 8 ft8 ft tall and 378 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Carpentersville Dam
The primary purpose of Carpentersville Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Kane County Forest Preserve District (local government). It impounds the Fox River near Carpentersville.
The dam stands 8 feet tall and stretches 378 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,100 acre-feet. Completed in 1916, the structure is over a century 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 10/29/2025.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Kane |
| Nearest City | Carpentersville |
| River/Stream | Fox River |
| Coordinates | 42.11479, -88.29239 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Length | 378 ft |
| Year Completed | 1916 (110 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,100 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,100 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 560 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Kane County Forest Preserve District |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/29/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL00909 |
| Federal ID | IL00909 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |