Knife Lake is a buttress dam located in Kanabec County, Minnesota, built in 1983. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 22 ft22 ft tall and 725 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 Knife Lake
The primary purpose of Knife Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by County of Kanabec;lid of Knife Lake;swcd of Kanabec (local government). It impounds the Knife River near Mora.
The dam stands 22 feet tall and stretches 725 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,277 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 11,374 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 92 square miles. Completed in 1983, the structure is 43 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. The most recent inspection on record was 07/11/2024.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Kanabec |
| Nearest City | Mora |
| River/Stream | Knife River |
| Coordinates | 45.94779, -93.32135 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Buttress |
| NID Height | 22 ft |
| Dam Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Length | 725 ft |
| Year Completed | 1983 (43 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 11,374 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 11,374 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 8,272 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1,277 acres |
| Drainage Area | 92 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 8,950 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | County of Kanabec;lid of Knife Lake;swcd of Kanabec |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/11/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00400 |
| Federal ID | MN00400 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |