South Mountain State Park Dam

About South Mountain State Park Dam

The primary purpose of South Mountain State Park Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Nc Department Of Natural And Cultural Resources (state). It impounds the Clear Creek near Morganton.

The dam stands 57 feet tall and stretches 1,500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 13 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 610 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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 01/08/2025.

At 57 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 North Carolina dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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