Lake Arbor (lake Arbor Way)

About Lake Arbor (lake Arbor Way)

The primary purpose of Lake Arbor (lake Arbor Way) is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Prince Georges County Depart. Of The Environment (local government). It impounds the Western Branch-tr near Kettering/watkins Reg. Park.

The dam stands 38 feet tall and stretches 600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 19 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 520 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/23/2024.

At 38 feet, this dam is taller than 85% 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 Maryland dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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