Portage Lake is a gravity dam located in Hubbard County, Minnesota, built in 1938. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 11 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 Portage Lake
The primary purpose of Portage 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 Portage River near Park Rapids.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 11 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 422 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,320 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1938, 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 05/15/2014. That was over 12 years ago.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Hubbard |
| Nearest City | Park Rapids |
| River/Stream | Portage River |
| Coordinates | 46.96273, -95.10040 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Length | 11 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 5,320 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 5,320 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 4,120 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 422 acres |
| Drainage Area | 4 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 300 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Mndnr |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 05/15/2014 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00185 |
| Federal ID | MN00185 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |