Wolf Creek Reservoir

About Wolf Creek Reservoir

The primary purpose of Wolf Creek Reservoir is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Schuylkill County Municipal Authority (local government). It impounds the Wolf Creek.

The dam stands 73 feet tall and stretches 867 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 45 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,444 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1909, 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 12/15/2020.

At 73 feet, this dam is taller than 97% 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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