Lake Roaming Rock dam is located in Ashtabula County, approximately 0.4 mile upstream of the Village of Rock Creek and controls a drainage area of 73.5 square miles. Water from the 550-acre lake is impounded by a 45-foot-high, 730-foot-long earth fill dam constructed in 1967.

The outlet works consists of a principal auxiliary and emergency spillway, as well as a 36 inch lake drain. The principal spillway is a 180-foot concrete ogee weir with a crest elevation of 850.0, corresponding to 6,091-acre-feet of storages. The auxiliary spillway is a 110-foot concrete ogee spillway located on the right end of the embankment with a crest elevation of 852.0, corresponding to 7,200-acre-feet of storage. The emergency spillway is an 80-foot-wide open channel located to the right of the auxiliary spillway, with a crest elevation of 854.0, and corresponding 8,300-acre-feet- of storage. The top of the dam is at 861.0 with a capacity of 120,000-acre feet of storage. The outflow discharges into Rock Creek and flows 2.4 miles before joining the Grand River.

The dam is classified as a Class I dam due to the potential downstream hazards under probable maximum flood (PMF) conditions, which is most severe combination of critical meteorological and hydrologic conditions reasonably possible in the region.

Our Dam is under the jurisdiction of the Village of Roaming Shores.  All decisions regarding dam maintenance or flood control are made by the Mayor or other village elected officials.

Our RomeRock Association is responsible for lake health and water quality.  Lake Lowering may be requested for reasons related to water quality or lake maintenance.  The Village will make the decision to honor the Association request if there are no other mitigating factors.

There is a written agreement between the Village of Roaming Shores and the RomeRock Association regarding these activities.  A link to this agreement is provided on both entity’s website.  Since the welfare of our community is a top priority for both groups, a spirit of cooperation exists regarding these decisions. It is important to understand that frequent opening and closing of the valves is not prudent for maintenance reasons.