Mcnair Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Montgomery County, North Carolina, built in 1973. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 40 ft40 ft tall and 540 ft long, taller than 86% 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 Mcnair Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Mcnair Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Roxana C Shepard (private). It impounds the Nichols Creek near Capelsie.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 540 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 22 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 360 acre-feet. Completed in 1973, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in 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. The most recent inspection on record was 06/15/2022.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Montgomery |
| Nearest City | Capelsie |
| River/Stream | Nichols Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.48250, -79.88080 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Length | 540 ft |
| Year Completed | 1973 (53 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 360 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 360 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 324 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 22 acres |
| Max Discharge | 148 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Roxana C Shepard |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 06/15/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC00485 |
| Federal ID | NC00485 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |