West Bend is a gravity dam located in Washington County, Wisconsin, built in 1846. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 13 ft13 ft tall and 275 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 West Bend
The primary purpose of West Bend is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City of West Bend (local government). It impounds the Milwaukee near West Bend.
The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 275 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 67 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 460 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 219 square miles. Completed in 1846, 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 09/13/2012. That was over 14 years ago.
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Location
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Washington |
| Nearest City | West Bend |
| River/Stream | Milwaukee |
| Coordinates | 43.42779, -88.18330 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 13 ft |
| Dam Height | 13 ft |
| Dam Length | 275 ft |
| Year Completed | 1846 (180 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 460 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 460 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 189 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 67 acres |
| Drainage Area | 219 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 4,160 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | City of West Bend |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 09/13/2012 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WI00326 |
| Federal ID | WI00326 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |