Mount Airy City Lake Dam

About Mount Airy City Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Mount Airy City Lake Dam is debris control. The dam is designed to catch sediment, rocks, and debris carried by flowing water — particularly important in areas prone to mudslides or heavy erosion. The dam is owned by City Of Mount Airy (local government). It impounds the Lovills Creek near Mount Airy.

The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 280 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 130 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1911, 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 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 03/11/2025.

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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