Varvil Dam

Varvil Dam is an earth dam located in Marquette County, Michigan, built in 1966. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Varvil Dam

The primary purpose of Varvil Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Dana Varvil (private). It impounds the Sawmill Creek.

The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 160 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 75 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 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. The most recent inspection on record was 01/01/1901. That was over 125 years ago.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateMichigan
CountyMarquette
Nearest CityNone
River/StreamSawmill Creek
Coordinates46.70000, -87.59167

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height20 ft
Dam Height20 ft
Dam Length160 ft
Year Completed1966 (60 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage75 acre-ft
Max Storage75 acre-ft
Normal Storage20 acre-ft
Surface Area15 acres
Drainage Area2 sq mi
Max Discharge186 cfs
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerDana Varvil
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection01/01/1901
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDMI01537
Federal IDMI01537
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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