Little Yadkin River Ws Dam #18

About Little Yadkin River Ws Dam #18

The primary purpose of Little Yadkin River Ws Dam #18 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Stokes County Soil & Water Conservation District (local government). It impounds the E. Prong Little Yadkin River.

The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 275 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 76 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1988, the structure is 38 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/04/2025.

At 32 feet, this dam is taller than 76% 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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