Lake Zahl Dam

Lake Zahl Dam is an earth dam located in Williams County, North Dakota, built in 1937. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Lake Zahl Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Zahl Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Usfws (federal). It impounds the Pats Coulee near Williston.

The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,300 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 9,720 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 52 square miles. Completed in 1937, 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 06/23/1988. That was over 37 years ago.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateNorth Dakota
CountyWilliams
Nearest CityWilliston
River/StreamPats Coulee
Coordinates48.54857, -103.68105

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height9 ft
Dam Height9 ft
Dam Length900 ft
Year Completed1937 (89 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage9,720 acre-ft
Max Storage9,720 acre-ft
Normal Storage3,003 acre-ft
Surface Area1,300 acres
Drainage Area52 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFish and Wildlife Pond
OwnerUSFWS
Owner TypeFederal
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection06/23/1988
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDND00348
Federal IDND00348
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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