Dead Horse Slough is a dam located in Ashland County, Wisconsin. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 19 ft19 ft tall and 360 ft long. 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 Dead Horse Slough
Dead Horse Slough is a dam in Ashland, Wisconsin. The dam is owned by Wisconsin Department of Transportation (state).
The dam stands 19 feet tall and stretches 360 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 100 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 900 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles.
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 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 07/02/2019. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
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 Wisconsin dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Wisconsin |
| County | Ashland |
| Coordinates | 46.15514, -90.85770 |
Physical Characteristics
| NID Height | 19 ft |
| Dam Height | 19 ft |
| Dam Length | 360 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 900 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 900 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 400 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 100 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 100 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Owner | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 07/02/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WI12880 |
| Federal ID | WI12880 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |