Smith Lake Dam

Smith Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Brown County, Indiana, built in 1976. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

About Smith Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Smith Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Iliff Smith Trust Lyle W. Smith Trustee (private). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Beanblossom Creek.

The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 19 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 167 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1976, the structure is 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 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 12/13/2018.

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Significant HazardPoor ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateIndiana
CountyBrown
River/StreamUnnamed Tributary Beanblossom Creek
Coordinates39.27585, -86.21772

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height30 ft
Dam Height30 ft
Dam Length400 ft
Year Completed1976 (50 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage167 acre-ft
Max Storage167 acre-ft
Normal Storage88 acre-ft
Surface Area19 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge487 cfs
Spillway TypeNone

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerILIFF SMITH TRUST LYLE W. SMITH TRUSTEE
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection12/13/2018
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDIN00578
Federal IDIN00578
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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