Lake Martin Dam

Lake Martin Dam is an earth dam located in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, built in 1952. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.

About Lake Martin Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Martin Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by La Dept Of Wildlife And Fisheries (state). It impounds the Vermilion River Offstream near Lafayette.

The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 26,996 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 800 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1952, 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 02/29/2024.

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Low HazardFair ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateLouisiana
CountySt. Martin
Nearest CityLafayette
River/StreamVermilion River Offstream
Coordinates30.22200, -91.90600

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height18 ft
Dam Height15 ft
Dam Length26,996 ft
Year Completed1952 (74 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage5,300 acre-ft
Max Storage5,300 acre-ft
Normal Storage4,500 acre-ft
Surface Area800 acres
Drainage Area1 sq mi
Max Discharge22 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerLA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentFair
Last Inspection02/29/2024
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDLA00187
Federal IDLA00187
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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