Tom Wathen Lake

Tom Wathen Lake is an earth dam located in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, built in 1955. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Tom Wathen Lake

The primary purpose of Tom Wathen Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Malcolm Jessup (private). It impounds the Salt Lick Creek near Drakesboro.

The dam stands 37 feet tall and stretches 621 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 18 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1955, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 03/29/2006. That was over 20 years ago.

At 37 feet, this dam is taller than 84% of dams nationwide.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateKentucky
CountyMuhlenberg
Nearest CityDrakesboro
River/StreamSalt Lick Creek
Coordinates37.13444, -87.16667

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height37 ft
Dam Height37 ft
Dam Length621 ft
Year Completed1955 (71 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage82 acre-ft
Max Storage18 acre-ft
Normal Storage82 acre-ft
Surface Area4 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerMALCOLM JESSUP
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection03/29/2006
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDKY00442
Federal IDKY00442
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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