Northern White Sands Dam is a rockfill dam located in LaSalle County, Illinois. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 28 ft28 ft tall and 800 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 rockfill embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Northern White Sands Dam
Northern White Sands Dam is a dam in LaSalle, Illinois. The dam is owned by Northern While Sands LLC (private). It impounds the Illinois R - Offstream.
The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 800 feet across.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/15/2025.
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 | LaSalle |
| River/Stream | Illinois R - Offstream |
| Coordinates | 41.34811, -88.96051 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 28 ft |
| Dam Height | 28 ft |
| Dam Length | 800 ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | Northern While Sands LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/15/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IL50735 |
| Federal ID | IL50735 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |