Carbondale Reservoir Dam

About Carbondale Reservoir Dam

The primary purpose of Carbondale Reservoir Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by City Of Carbondale (local government). It impounds the Piles Fork near Carbondale.

The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 2,400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 160 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,940 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1926, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/24/2025.

At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% 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 Illinois dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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