Winchester North Effluent Retention Dam

About Winchester North Effluent Retention Dam

The primary purpose of Winchester North Effluent Retention Dam is debris control. The dam is designed to catch sediment, rocks, and debris carried by flowing water — particularly important in areas prone to mudslides or heavy erosion. The dam is owned by Winchester Municipal Utilities (local government). It impounds the Strodes Creek near No Town.

The dam stands 66 feet tall and stretches 2,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 31 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,000 acre-feet. Completed in 1991, the structure is 35 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. The most recent inspection on record was 02/26/2004. That was over 22 years ago.

At 66 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

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