Bowie Town Center Lake
Bowie Town Center Lake is an earth dam located in Prince George's County, Maryland, built in 1990. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Bowie Town Center Lake
The primary purpose of Bowie Town Center Lake is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by City Of Bowie (local government). It impounds the Mill Branch near Collington.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 7 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 196 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1990, the structure is 36 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 02/01/2024.
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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Maryland |
| County | Prince George's |
| Nearest City | Collington |
| River/Stream | Mill Branch |
| Coordinates | 38.94055, -76.72914 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 600 ft |
| Year Completed | 1990 (36 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 196 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 196 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 37 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 7 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | City of Bowie |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 02/01/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MD00490 |
| Federal ID | MD00490 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |