Arrow Wood Lake Dam is a dam located in Madison County, Illinois, built in 2000. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 15 ft15 ft tall and 500 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 Arrow Wood Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Arrow Wood Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is private-owned.
The dam stands 15 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across. Completed in 2000, the structure is 26 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/11/2025.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Illinois dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Illinois |
| County | Madison |
| Coordinates | 38.72929, -89.83445 |
Physical Characteristics
| NID Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Length | 500 ft |
| Year Completed | 2000 (26 years old) |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/11/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL50687 |
| Federal ID | IL50687 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |