Ely Lake is a gravity dam located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, built in 1939. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 8 ft8 ft tall and 34 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 Ely Lake
The primary purpose of Ely Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Mndnr (state). It impounds the Ely Creek near Peary.
The dam stands 8 feet tall and stretches 34 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 780 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 61,182 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 10 square miles. Completed in 1939, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 08/16/2017.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | St. Louis |
| Nearest City | Peary |
| River/Stream | Ely Creek |
| Coordinates | 47.44419, -92.47363 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Height | 6 ft |
| Dam Length | 34 ft |
| Year Completed | 1939 (87 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 61,182 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 61,182 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 55,620 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 780 acres |
| Drainage Area | 10 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 925 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Mndnr |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/16/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00005 |
| Federal ID | MN00005 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |