Baldhill Dam

Baldhill Dam
Baldhill Dam
Baldhill Dam is located in North Dakota
Baldhill Dam
Location of Baldhill Dam in North Dakota
CountryUnited States
LocationBarnes County, North Dakota
Coordinates47°02′08″N 98°04′50″W / 47.035495°N 98.080619°W / 47.035495; -98.080619
StatusOperational
Opening date1951; 73 years ago (1951)
Owner(s) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District
Dam and spillways
Type of damEarthen
ImpoundsSheyenne River
Height60 ft.
Length1,800 ft.
Spillways3 tainter gates
Reservoir
CreatesLake Ashtabula
Total capacity156,000 acre-feet
Surface area5,234 acres
Maximum length27 mi.
Website
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Baldhill Dam

Baldhill Dam is a dam in Barnes County, North Dakota,[1] about 10 miles north-northwest of Valley City in the eastern part of the state.

The earthen and concrete dam was constructed in 1951 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers with three tainter gates, a height of 60 feet, and 1800 feet in length at its crest.[2] It impounds the Sheyenne River for irrigation water storage and for flood control. The dam is owned and operated by the Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District.

The reservoir it creates, Lake Ashtabula, is a riverine lake oriented north to south, about 27 miles long.[3] The name "Ashtabula" is a Native American word meaning "Fish River."[4] It has a water surface area of 5,234 acres, a maximum capacity of 156,000 acre-feet; and normal storage of 69,500 acre-feet.[5] Popular for recreation, Lake Ashtabula contains walleye, northern pike, white bass, yellow perch and black bullheads. The Corps of Engineers maintains seven recreation areas around the lake.

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Baldhill Dam
  2. ^ "Lake Ashtabula". Archived from the original on 2012-11-30. Retrieved 2012-08-02.
  3. ^ http://water.areavoices.com/2012/02/26/baldhill-bonus/ Archived 2015-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, Area Voices website, 26 February 2012
  4. ^ http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/recreation/default.asp?pageid=151 Archived 2012-07-06 at the Wayback Machine, US Army Corps of Engineers
  5. ^ http://findlakes.com/lake_ashtabula_north-dakota~nd00309.htm Archived 2012-11-30 at archive.today , Find Lakes website