Lake Bonnet Dam

About Lake Bonnet Dam

The primary purpose of Lake Bonnet Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by May Manor Mhc, Llc. (private). It impounds the Unt Itchepackesassa Creek near Lakeland.

The dam stands 10 feet tall and stretches 1,220 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 79 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 629 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles.

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 04/18/2016. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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

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