Nelson Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Anson County, North Carolina, built in 1945. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 20 ft20 ft tall and 510 ft long. 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 Nelson Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Nelson Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Rebecca R Nelson (private). It impounds the Whortleberry Creek near Mcfarlan.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 510 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 54 acre-feet. Completed in 1945, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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. The most recent inspection on record was 03/08/2013. That was over 13 years ago.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Anson |
| Nearest City | Mcfarlan |
| River/Stream | Whortleberry Creek |
| Coordinates | 34.81830, -79.96050 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 510 ft |
| Year Completed | 1945 (81 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 54 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 54 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 45 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Max Discharge | 33 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Rebecca R Nelson |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 03/08/2013 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC00496 |
| Federal ID | NC00496 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |