Red Lick Creek Frs 12

Red Lick Creek Frs 12 is an earth dam located in Madison County, Kentucky, built in 1975. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

About Red Lick Creek Frs 12

The primary purpose of Red Lick Creek Frs 12 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 Red Lick Creek Watershed Conservancy District (local government). It impounds the Red Lick Creek near Duluth.

The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 398 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1975, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 02/13/2025.

At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% of dams nationwide.

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

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.

High HazardPoor ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateKentucky
CountyMadison
Nearest CityDuluth
River/StreamRed Lick Creek
Coordinates37.58002, -84.21091

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height36 ft
Dam Height36 ft
Dam Length600 ft
Year Completed1975 (51 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage398 acre-ft
Max Storage398 acre-ft
Normal Storage48 acre-ft
Surface Area10 acres
Drainage Area1 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFlood Risk Reduction
OwnerRED LICK CREEK WATERSHED CONSERVANCY DISTRICT
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection02/13/2025
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDKY00766
Federal IDKY00766
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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