Birkey Lake Dam

Birkey Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Tazewell County, Illinois, built in 1965. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialLowFailure would cause limited damage
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspection04/06/2023
Height28 ft
Built196561 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 28 ft
28 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

28 ft tall and 540 ft long, taller than 62% 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 Birkey Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Birkey Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Sam Birkey (private). It impounds the Trib Lick Creek near North Pekin.

The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 540 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 105 acre-feet. Completed in 1965, 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 04/06/2023.

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Location

StateIllinois
CountyTazewell
Nearest CityNorth Pekin
River/StreamTrib Lick Creek
Coordinates40.57149, -89.57249

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height28 ft
Dam Height28 ft
Dam Length540 ft
Year Completed1965 (61 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage105 acre-ft
Max Storage105 acre-ft
Normal Storage76 acre-ft
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerSam Birkey
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Last Inspection04/06/2023
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDIL00998
Federal IDIL00998
More InfoState Dam Safety Program