Third Creek Watershed Dam #10 is an earth dam located in Iredell County, North Carolina, built in 1957. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 33 ft33 ft tall and 407 ft long, taller than 76% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Third Creek Watershed Dam #10
The primary purpose of Third Creek Watershed Dam #10 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 The Ellis Bypass Trust (private). It impounds the Third Creek near Statesville.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 407 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 33 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 279 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1957, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/01/2025.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 76% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Iredell |
| Nearest City | Statesville |
| River/Stream | Third Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.81580, -81.02090 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 407 ft |
| Year Completed | 1957 (69 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 279 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 279 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 20 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 33 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 495 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | The Ellis Bypass Trust |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 04/01/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC00146 |
| Federal ID | NC00146 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |