Lake Claiborne Dam
Lake Claiborne Dam is an earth dam located in Claiborne County, Mississippi, built in 1955. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Lake Claiborne Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Claiborne Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Lake Claiborne, Inc (private). It impounds the Unt Of Unt Of Bayou Pierre near Port Gibson.
The dam stands 48 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 110 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,700 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1955, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/15/2022.
At 48 feet, this dam is taller than 92% 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 Mississippi 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 | Mississippi |
| County | Claiborne |
| Nearest City | Port Gibson |
| River/Stream | Unt Of Unt Of Bayou Pierre |
| Coordinates | 32.00965, -90.99686 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 48 ft |
| Dam Height | 45 ft |
| Dam Length | 500 ft |
| Year Completed | 1955 (71 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,700 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,700 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,360 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 110 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,141 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | LAKE CLAIBORNE, INC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 06/15/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MS00251 |
| Federal ID | MS00251 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |