Wyoming Lake Dam

About Wyoming Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Wyoming Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Carlton Fifer (private). It impounds the Isaac Branch near Dover.

The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 725 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 48 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 669 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 11 square miles. Completed in 1925, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 10/17/2000. 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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