Porter Reservoir Dam

About Porter Reservoir Dam

The primary purpose of Porter Reservoir Dam is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by City Of Wilmington (local government). It impounds the Matson Run-os near Wilmington.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 2,160 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 114 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1909, the structure is over a century old.

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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/16/2000. That was 25 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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 Delaware dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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