Lake Bel-air Dam is an earth dam located in Hillsdale County, Michigan, built in 1966. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 10 ft10 ft tall and 650 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 Lake Bel-air Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Bel-air Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Merl Kyser (private). It impounds the Beebe Creek near Jonesville.
The dam stands 10 feet tall and stretches 650 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 111 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 567 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 24 square miles. Completed in 1966, 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 10/02/2019.
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Location
| State | Michigan |
| County | Hillsdale |
| Nearest City | Jonesville |
| River/Stream | Beebe Creek |
| Coordinates | 41.95099, -84.57319 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Length | 650 ft |
| Year Completed | 1966 (60 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 567 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 567 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 412 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 111 acres |
| Drainage Area | 24 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 850 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Merl Kyser |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/02/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MI00415 |
| Federal ID | MI00415 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |