Lupo Lake Dam

About Lupo Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Lupo Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Raeford Development Company, Llc (private). It impounds the Black Branch near Hope Mills.

The dam stands 13 feet tall and stretches 225 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 26 acre-feet.

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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/05/2024.

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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