Little Raccoon Dam No. 18 is an earth dam located in Parke County, Indiana, built in 1974. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 39 ft39 ft tall and 770 ft long, taller than 85% 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. 18
The primary purpose of Little Raccoon Dam No. 18 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 Minshall.
The dam stands 39 feet tall and stretches 770 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 23 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 979 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. 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. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 10/09/2015. That was over 11 years ago.
At 39 feet, this dam is taller than 85% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Indiana |
| County | Parke |
| Nearest City | Minshall |
| River/Stream | Unnamed Tributary Little Raccoon Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.69834, -87.18960 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 39 ft |
| Dam Height | 38 ft |
| Dam Length | 770 ft |
| Year Completed | 1974 (52 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 979 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 979 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 163 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 23 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,538 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Little Raccoon Conservancy District |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 10/09/2015 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IN00255 |
| Federal ID | IN00255 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |