Lake Gem
Lake Gem is an earth dam located in Madison County, Kentucky, built in 1974. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Lake Gem
The primary purpose of Lake Gem is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Blue Grass Army Depot (federal). It impounds the Hayes Fork near Kingston.
The dam stands 25 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 247 acre-feet. Completed in 1974, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. 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 11/24/2020.
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Location
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Madison |
| Nearest City | Kingston |
| River/Stream | Hayes Fork |
| Coordinates | 37.66478, -84.24087 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 25 ft |
| Dam Height | 25 ft |
| Dam Length | 500 ft |
| Year Completed | 1974 (52 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 592 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 247 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 592 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 7 acres |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Blue Grass Army Depot |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 11/24/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KY00849 |
| Federal ID | KY00849 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |