Rainbow Lake Dam

Rainbow Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Franklin County, New York, built in 1875. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Rainbow Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Rainbow Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Rainbow Lake Water Protection District (local government). It impounds the North Branch Saranac River near Loon Lake.

The dam stands 9 feet tall and stretches 110 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 356 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,920 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 1875, the structure is one of the older dams in the region, with over a century and a half 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/01/1980. That was over 45 years ago.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateNew York
CountyFranklin
Nearest CityLoon Lake
River/StreamNorth Branch Saranac River
Coordinates44.48833, -74.13833

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height9 ft
Dam Height9 ft
Dam Length110 ft
Year Completed1875 (151 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,920 acre-ft
Max Storage1,920 acre-ft
Normal Storage1,920 acre-ft
Surface Area356 acres
Drainage Area8 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerRAINBOW LAKE WATER PROTECTION DISTRICT
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection05/01/1980
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDNY01112
Federal IDNY01112
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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