Wake Forest Water Supply Dam

About Wake Forest Water Supply Dam

The primary purpose of Wake Forest Water Supply Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Town Of Wake Forest (local government). It impounds the Smith Creek near Milburnie.

The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 665 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 50 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 945 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1960, 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 11/12/2024.

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

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