Bowies Pond

About Bowies Pond

The primary purpose of Bowies Pond is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Fort Walker (federal). It impounds the Campbell Creek near Milford.

The dam stands 14 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 21 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 449 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 10 square miles. Completed in 1940, 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 07/24/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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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