Autumn Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Brown County, Indiana, built in 1969. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 32 ft32 ft tall and 300 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 Autumn Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Autumn Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Richard Hollcraft (private). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Big Thunder Creek.
The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 81 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1969, 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/17/2018. That was 8 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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Indiana |
| County | Brown |
| River/Stream | Unnamed Tributary Big Thunder Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.31909, -86.27286 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Length | 300 ft |
| Year Completed | 1969 (57 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 81 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 81 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 49 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 87 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Richard Hollcraft |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 09/17/2018 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IN00558 |
| Federal ID | IN00558 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |