Back Creek Dam (old Telegraph Road)
Back Creek Dam (old Telegraph Road) is an earth dam located in Cecil County, Maryland, built in 1900. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
About Back Creek Dam (old Telegraph Road)
The primary purpose of Back Creek Dam (old Telegraph Road) is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Cecil County (local government). It impounds the Back Creek near Chesapeake City.
The dam stands 11 feet tall and stretches 600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 17 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 122 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1900, the structure is over a century 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 12/10/2024.
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Location
| State | Maryland |
| County | Cecil |
| Nearest City | Chesapeake City |
| River/Stream | Back Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.51330, -75.78160 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Length | 600 ft |
| Year Completed | 1900 (126 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 122 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 122 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 43 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 17 acres |
| Drainage Area | 6 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,820 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Cecil County |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 12/10/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MD00191 |
| Federal ID | MD00191 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |