Hidden Valley Lake is an earth dam located in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, built in 1975. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 720 ft long, taller than 80% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Hidden Valley Lake
The primary purpose of Hidden Valley Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Hidden Valley Homeowners Association (private). It impounds the Van Meter Creek.
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 720 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 22 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1975, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 05/28/2021.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Lafayette |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Van Meter Creek |
| Coordinates | 42.74839, -89.94664 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 720 ft |
| Year Completed | 1975 (51 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 247 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 22 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 133 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Hidden Valley Homeowners Association |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 05/28/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WI00855 |
| Federal ID | WI00855 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |