Whip-poor-will Dam

About Whip-poor-will Dam

The primary purpose of Whip-poor-will Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Kenneth Baker (private). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Little Indian Creek near Paragon Area.

The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 320 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 94 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1956, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/26/2017. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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 Indiana dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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