Balsam Lake is a gravity dam located in Itasca County, Minnesota, built in 1936. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 16 ft16 ft tall and 30 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 Balsam Lake
The primary purpose of Balsam 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 Balsam Creek near Crooked Lake.
The dam stands 16 feet tall and stretches 30 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 103 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 16,776 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 42 square miles. Completed in 1936, 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 06/06/2018.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Itasca |
| Nearest City | Crooked Lake |
| River/Stream | Balsam Creek |
| Coordinates | 47.52994, -93.37603 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 16 ft |
| Dam Height | 14 ft |
| Dam Length | 30 ft |
| Year Completed | 1936 (90 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 16,776 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 16,776 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 13,980 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 103 acres |
| Drainage Area | 42 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 635 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Mndnr |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 06/06/2018 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00082 |
| Federal ID | MN00082 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |