Lake Carawood Dam
Lake Carawood Dam is an earth dam located in Gasconade County, Missouri, built in 1976. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Lake Carawood Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Carawood Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Joseph Carapella (private). It impounds the Tr-big Berger Creek near New Haven.
The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 490 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 167 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 109 square miles. Completed in 1976, the structure is 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/22/2001. That was 25 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% of dams nationwide.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Missouri dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Missouri |
| County | Gasconade |
| Nearest City | New Haven |
| River/Stream | Tr-big Berger Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.55557, -91.46451 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 36 ft |
| Dam Height | 34 ft |
| Dam Length | 490 ft |
| Year Completed | 1976 (50 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 167 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 167 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 107 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 9 acres |
| Drainage Area | 109 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 567 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | JOSEPH CARAPELLA |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 01/22/2001 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MO30107 |
| Federal ID | MO30107 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |