Roark Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Brown County, Indiana, built in 1969. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 36 ft36 ft tall and 500 ft long, taller than 82% 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 Roark Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Roark Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by John Roark (private). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Bear Creek.
The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 75 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 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 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 10/28/2020.
At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Indiana |
| County | Brown |
| River/Stream | Unnamed Tributary Bear Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.33883, -86.25201 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Length | 500 ft |
| Year Completed | 1969 (57 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 75 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 75 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 43 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 156 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | John Roark |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/28/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IN00563 |
| Federal ID | IN00563 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |