Southern Hills Lake Dam
Southern Hills Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Clark County, Indiana, built in 1971. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Southern Hills Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Southern Hills Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Southern Hills Lake Homeowners Association (private). It impounds the Unnamed Tributary Muddy Fork.
The dam stands 51 feet tall and stretches 660 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 51 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 584 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1971, 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 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 08/20/2019.
At 51 feet, this dam is taller than 93% 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 Indiana dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Indiana |
| County | Clark |
| River/Stream | Unnamed Tributary Muddy Fork |
| Coordinates | 38.43490, -85.86143 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 51 ft |
| Dam Height | 51 ft |
| Dam Length | 660 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 584 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 584 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 579 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 51 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 306 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | SOUTHERN HILLS LAKE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 08/20/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | IN00180 |
| Federal ID | IN00180 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |