Prairie Lake is a gravity dam located in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, built in 1936. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 49 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 Prairie Lake
The primary purpose of Prairie 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 Pelican River near Pelican Rapids.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 49 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,025 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 16,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 340 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. The most recent inspection on record was 08/12/2024.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Otter Tail |
| Nearest City | Pelican Rapids |
| River/Stream | Pelican River |
| Coordinates | 46.58756, -96.07101 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Height | 8 ft |
| Dam Length | 49 ft |
| Year Completed | 1936 (90 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 16,400 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 16,400 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 10,250 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1,025 acres |
| Drainage Area | 340 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,840 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Mndnr |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/12/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00192 |
| Federal ID | MN00192 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |