Sand Lake is a gravity dam located in Sawyer County, Wisconsin, built in 1950. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 7 ft7 ft tall and 20 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 Sand Lake
The primary purpose of Sand Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (state). It impounds the Sand Creek.
The dam stands 7 feet tall and stretches 20 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 928 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 22 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/05/2020.
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Location
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Sawyer |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Sand Creek |
| Coordinates | 45.85138, -91.47842 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Gravity |
| NID Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Height | 7 ft |
| Dam Length | 20 ft |
| Year Completed | 1950 (76 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 6,500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 6,500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 2,700 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 928 acres |
| Drainage Area | 22 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 104 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 10/05/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WI01100 |
| Federal ID | WI01100 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |