Carlisle Lake Dam

About Carlisle Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Carlisle Lake 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 Onalaska Alliance (private). It impounds the Tr-south Fork Newaukum River.

The dam stands 19 feet tall and stretches 650 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 29 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 4 square miles. Completed in 1920, the structure is over a century 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. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/17/2020.

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 Washington dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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