Mckellars Lake (upper)

About Mckellars Lake (upper)

The primary purpose of Mckellars Lake (upper) is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Fort Liberty (federal). It impounds the Mcpherson Creek near Pope Afb Nc.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 850 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 74 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1972, 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 unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/15/2019. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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 North Carolina dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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