Melody Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Nelson County, Kentucky, built in 1958. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 26 ft26 ft tall and 700 ft long, taller than 55% 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 Melody Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Melody Lake Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Melody Lake Inc (private). It impounds the Monks Creek near Gethsemane.
The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 59 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 86 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1958, 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 11/04/2013. That was over 12 years ago.
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Location
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Nelson |
| Nearest City | Gethsemane |
| River/Stream | Monks Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.68250, -85.48389 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 26 ft |
| Dam Height | 26 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1958 (68 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 415 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 86 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 415 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 59 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Melody Lake Inc |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/04/2013 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KY00366 |
| Federal ID | KY00366 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |