Upper Columbia Quarry Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Macoupin County, Illinois, built in 1900. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 18 ft18 ft tall and 325 ft long. 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 Upper Columbia Quarry Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Upper Columbia Quarry Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Columbia Quarry (private). It impounds the Trib Bear Creek near Benld-offstream.
The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 325 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 80 acre-feet. Completed in 1900, 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 05/23/2024.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Macoupin |
| Nearest City | Benld-offstream |
| River/Stream | Trib Bear Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.11203, -89.78918 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 18 ft |
| Dam Height | 18 ft |
| Dam Length | 325 ft |
| Year Completed | 1900 (126 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 80 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 80 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 58 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Columbia Quarry |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 05/23/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL01016 |
| Federal ID | IL01016 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |