Big Sandy Lake Dam water level — Minnesota
Big Sandy Lake Dam in Minnesota was last measured at 1,216.06 ft (datum NGVD29), as of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00) (USACE CWMS Data). Over its recent trend window the level has been steady (+0.0 ft).
- % of conservation pool full
- Not reported
- Storage
- Not reported
- Recent trend
- →Steady
+0.0 ft over the trend window
Recent trend
Readings this station published between Jun 2, 2026 and Jun 7, 2026 — a 5-day window — downsampled for display.
Data: USGS Water Services (waterservices.usgs.gov) and USACE CWMS Data (cwms-data.usace.army.mil), retrieved 2026-08-31. Both public domain (a work of the U.S. Government, 17 U.S.C. §105).
Source: USACE MVP/MissHW_Sandy, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00). Official page for this lake →
The dam behind Big Sandy Lake Dam
Big Sandy Lake Dam is held back by Sandy Lock and Dam (also recorded as Sandy Lake Reservoir) , an earthfill embankment, holding the pool back by sheer mass and an impervious core rather than by the strength of concrete , standing 22 ft high and running 109 ft along its crest , built across SANDY RIVER in Aitkin County , near LIBBY . It was completed in 1895 , and is owned by USACE - St. Paul District (a federal owner) , to a design credited to CEMVP.
Its recorded primary purpose is other . It also serves other;navigation;fish and wildlife pond;recreation;water supply;flood risk reduction.
It is founded on soil, with a earth core. Its spillway is gated, so the operator can hold the pool above the spillway crest and meter what leaves. The spillway opening is 66 ft wide. Its outlet works use other controlled6;slide (sluice gate)6.
NID classes it low hazard potential: a failure would be expected to damage little beyond the owner's own property. It is a consequence rating, not a condition rating.
At its normal pool the reservoir covers about 9,400 acres. NID records a maximum storage of 79,400 acre-ft against a normal storage of 38,000 acre-ft. Its maximum discharge capacity is 3,738 cubic feet per second.
Dam facts: National Inventory of Dams record MN00583 , filed by US Army Corps of Engineers — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, public domain. Water levels above come from USACE CWMS Data and are a separate source. (How this dam was matched to this gauge →)
How Big Sandy Lake Dam compares nearby
All 6 nearby lakes with a current trend are also steady, suggesting a regional pattern rather than an operation specific to this dam.
Nearby lakes
The six nearest published lakes by centroid distance (great-circle) — cross-state neighbors included.
| Lake | State | Level | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokegama Lake | MN | 1,273.37 ft | 54 km |
| Pokegama Lake Dam | MN | 1,273.37 ft | 55 km |
| Pine River Dam at Cross Lake | MN | 1,229.01 ft | 61 km |
| Leech Lake Dam | MN | 1,294.14 ft | 85 km |
| Gull Lake Dam | MN | 1,193.60 ft | 89 km |
| Lake Winnibigoshish Dam | MN | 1,298.06 ft | 90 km |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the current water level of Big Sandy Lake Dam?
- As of Aug 22, 2026, 1:15 PM (UTC+00:00), the pool elevation was 1,216.06 ft (datum NGVD29). See the trend chart above for the recent direction.
- Is Big Sandy Lake Dam full right now?
- Its managing agency does not publish a %-of-conservation-pool-full figure for this lake, so we show the bare level rather than estimate one.
- Where does this data come from?
- From USACE MVP/MissHW_Sandy, retrieved Aug 31, 2026, 8:24 AM (UTC+00:00).
More in Minnesota
See every lake tracked in Minnesota, or read the methodology behind these figures.