Big Bone Lick State Park Dam
Big Bone Lick State Park Dam is an earth dam located in Boone County, Kentucky, built in 1971. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Big Bone Lick State Park Dam
The primary purpose of Big Bone Lick State Park Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Commonwealth Of Kentucky (state). It impounds the Big Bone Creek near Big Bone.
The dam stands 70 feet tall and stretches 490 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 9 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 218 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1971, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. The most recent inspection on record was 10/23/2025.
At 70 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Boone |
| Nearest City | Big Bone |
| River/Stream | Big Bone Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.88452, -84.74291 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 70 ft |
| Dam Height | 70 ft |
| Dam Length | 490 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 218 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 218 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 185 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 9 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/23/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KY00307 |
| Federal ID | KY00307 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |