Fishing Creek Dam
Fishing Creek Dam is an earth dam located in Frederick County, Maryland, built in 1925. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Fishing Creek Dam
The primary purpose of Fishing Creek Dam is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by City Of Frederick (local government). It impounds the Fishing Creek near Mountaindale.
The dam stands 58 feet tall and stretches 584 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 13 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 402 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 7 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/23/2024.
At 58 feet, this dam is taller than 95% of all dams in the United States.
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 Maryland 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.
Location
| State | Maryland |
| County | Frederick |
| Nearest City | Mountaindale |
| River/Stream | Fishing Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.52590, -77.46270 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 58 ft |
| Dam Height | 58 ft |
| Dam Length | 584 ft |
| Year Completed | 1925 (101 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 402 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 402 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 150 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 13 acres |
| Drainage Area | 7 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 15,634 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Water Supply |
| Owner | City of Frederick |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/23/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MD00016 |
| Federal ID | MD00016 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |