Ghost Lake is a concrete dam located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, built in 1924. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 17 ft17 ft tall and 418 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 Ghost Lake
The primary purpose of Ghost Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Town of Spider Lake (local government). It impounds the Ghost Creek.
The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 418 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 372 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 22 square miles. Completed in 1924, the structure is over a century old.
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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/19/2021.
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Location
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Sawyer |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Ghost Creek |
| Coordinates | 46.07432, -91.04932 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Concrete |
| NID Height | 17 ft |
| Dam Height | 17 ft |
| Dam Length | 418 ft |
| Year Completed | 1924 (102 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,300 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,300 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,500 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 372 acres |
| Drainage Area | 22 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 550 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Town of Spider Lake |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 07/19/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WI00194 |
| Federal ID | WI00194 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |