Newcastle Railroad Embankment Dam

About Newcastle Railroad Embankment Dam

The primary purpose of Newcastle Railroad Embankment Dam 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 Newcastle City (local government). It impounds the Tr - May Creek near Newcastle.

The dam stands 55 feet tall and stretches 150 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 120 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1900, 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 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 08/30/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 55 feet, this dam is taller than 94% 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 Washington dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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