Little Pine Creek

About Little Pine Creek

The primary purpose of Little Pine Creek 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 Dcnr (state). It impounds the Little Pine Creek.

The dam stands 113 feet tall and stretches 1,123 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 94 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 35,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 165 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/25/2020.

At 113 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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

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