Jerry Clinard Lake Dam
Jerry Clinard Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Davidson County, North Carolina. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Jerry Clinard Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Jerry Clinard Lake Dam is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by Charles D Ruth (private). It impounds the Ut To Hunts Fork Creek near Thomasville.
The dam stands 17 feet tall and stretches 200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 11 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 03/12/2025.
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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Davidson |
| Nearest City | Thomasville |
| River/Stream | Ut To Hunts Fork Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.90020, -80.13420 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 17 ft |
| Dam Length | 200 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 11 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 11 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 10 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1 acres |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond |
| Owner | Charles D Ruth |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 03/12/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC05516 |
| Federal ID | NC05516 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |