Little Kandiyohi Lake is a gravity dam located in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, built in 1941. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 10 ft10 ft tall and 17 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 Little Kandiyohi Lake
The primary purpose of Little Kandiyohi 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 Crow River South Fork near Cosmos.
The dam stands 10 feet tall and stretches 17 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,237 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,414 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 29 square miles. Completed in 1941, 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 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 06/07/2023.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Kandiyohi |
| Nearest City | Cosmos |
| River/Stream | Crow River South Fork |
| Coordinates | 45.05637, -94.92196 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Height | 10 ft |
| Dam Length | 17 ft |
| Year Completed | 1941 (85 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 5,414 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 5,414 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 2,831 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1,237 acres |
| Drainage Area | 29 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 925 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Mndnr |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 06/07/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00063 |
| Federal ID | MN00063 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |