Zehner Mill Pond Dam

About Zehner Mill Pond Dam

The primary purpose of Zehner Mill Pond Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by James Clevenger (local government). It impounds the Eagle Creek.

The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 580 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 166 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1933, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/20/2009. That was 16 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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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