Shabbona Lake Dam is an earth dam located in DeKalb County, Illinois, built in 1974. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 56 ft56 ft tall and 2,570 ft long, taller than 94% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Shabbona Lake Dam
Shabbona Lake Dam is a dam in DeKalb, Illinois. The dam is owned by Illinois Department of Natural Resources (state). It impounds the Indian Creek near Shabbona Grove.
The dam stands 56 feet tall and stretches 2,570 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 6,387 acre-feet. Completed in 1974, 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 10/03/2025.
At 56 feet, this dam is taller than 94% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | DeKalb |
| Nearest City | Shabbona Grove |
| River/Stream | Indian Creek |
| Coordinates | 41.73792, -88.85644 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 56 ft |
| Dam Height | 56 ft |
| Dam Length | 2,570 ft |
| Year Completed | 1974 (52 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 6,387 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 6,387 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 4,275 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | Illinois Department of Natural Resources |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/03/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL01202 |
| Federal ID | IL01202 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |