Steilacoom Lake Dam

About Steilacoom Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Steilacoom Lake Dam is fish and wildlife pond. The dam creates habitat for fish and wildlife, supporting local ecosystems and potentially serving conservation goals. The dam is owned by Lakewood City (local government). It impounds the Chambers Creek near Within Lakewood City Limits.

The dam stands 28 feet tall and stretches 120 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 317 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 6,970 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 62 square miles. Completed in 1989, the structure is 37 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/18/2015. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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

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