Little Raccoon Dam No. 7

Little Raccoon Dam No. 7 is an earth dam located in Parke County, Indiana, built in 1972. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.

Hazard potentialSignificantFailure could cause major damage
ConditionFair2nd of 4 ratings
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspection07/26/2018
Height32 ft
Built197254 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 32 ft
32 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

32 ft tall and 780 ft long, taller than 74% 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 Little Raccoon Dam No. 7

The primary purpose of Little Raccoon Dam No. 7 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Little Raccoon Conservancy District (local government). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Little Raccoon Creek near Judson.

The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 780 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 12 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 559 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1972, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 07/26/2018.

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Location

StateIndiana
CountyParke
Nearest CityJudson
River/StreamUnnamed Tributary Little Raccoon Creek
Coordinates39.84992, -87.11000

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height32 ft
Dam Height32 ft
Dam Length780 ft
Year Completed1972 (54 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage559 acre-ft
Max Storage559 acre-ft
Normal Storage57 acre-ft
Surface Area12 acres
Drainage Area1 sq mi
Max Discharge4,285 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFlood Risk Reduction
OwnerLittle Raccoon Conservancy District
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentFair
Last Inspection07/26/2018
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDIN00219
Federal IDIN00219
More InfoState Dam Safety Program