Ames Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Guilford County, North Carolina, built in 1954. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 20 ft20 ft tall and 150 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 Ames Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Ames Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Jerry D Apple (private). It impounds the Reedy Fork Creek near Ossipee.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 150 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 121 acre-feet. Completed in 1954, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 12/16/2024.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Guilford |
| Nearest City | Ossipee |
| River/Stream | Reedy Fork Creek |
| Coordinates | 36.21300, -79.61920 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 150 ft |
| Year Completed | 1954 (72 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 121 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 121 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 84 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 15 acres |
| Max Discharge | 83 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Jerry D Apple |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 12/16/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC00668 |
| Federal ID | NC00668 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |