Hamilton Dam is a gravity dam located in Allegan County, Michigan, built in 1900. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 13 ft13 ft tall and 440 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic concrete gravity section and the water level is illustrative.
About Hamilton Dam
The primary purpose of Hamilton Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Heath Township Board (local government). It impounds the Rabbit River near Hamilton.
The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 440 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 28 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 269 square miles. Completed in 1900, the structure is over a century 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. The most recent inspection on record was 09/17/2009. That was over 17 years ago.
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Location
| State | Michigan |
| County | Allegan |
| Nearest City | Hamilton |
| River/Stream | Rabbit River |
| Coordinates | 42.67667, -86.00333 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 13 ft |
| Dam Height | 13 ft |
| Dam Length | 440 ft |
| Year Completed | 1900 (126 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 150 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 28 acres |
| Drainage Area | 269 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 7,100 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Heath Township Board |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 09/17/2009 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MI00496 |
| Federal ID | MI00496 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |