Upper Wallace Dam

About Upper Wallace Dam

The primary purpose of Upper Wallace Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by A & D Land Company, Llc;dennis K. And Angela Rawley;kilbride International (private). It impounds the Poor Creek.

The dam stands 37 feet tall and stretches 325 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 25 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1967, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/28/2016. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 37 feet, this dam is taller than 84% 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 Virginia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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