Ralph Ketchum Dam is an earth dam located in Owen County, Indiana, built in 1962. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 23 ft23 ft tall and 465 ft long. 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 Ralph Ketchum Dam
The primary purpose of Ralph Ketchum Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Ralph Ketchum (private). It impounds the Offstream-tr White River near Spencer.
The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 465 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 71 acre-feet. Completed in 1962, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 11/16/1978. That was over 47 years ago.
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Location
| State | Indiana |
| County | Owen |
| Nearest City | Spencer |
| River/Stream | Offstream-tr White River |
| Coordinates | 39.29788, -86.77704 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Length | 465 ft |
| Year Completed | 1962 (64 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 71 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 71 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 55 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Max Discharge | 195 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Ralph Ketchum |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/16/1978 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IN00711 |
| Federal ID | IN00711 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |