Left Whitesell Lake Dam
Left Whitesell Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Guilford County, North Carolina, built in 1971. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Left Whitesell Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Left Whitesell Lake Dam is fire protection, stock, or small fish pond. The dam maintains a small impoundment used for fire suppression, livestock watering, or as a fish pond. The dam is owned by Linda H. Little Revocable Inter Vivos Trust (private). It impounds the Buffalo Creek near Ossipee.
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 720 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,484 acre-feet. Completed in 1971, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 02/23/2023.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Guilford |
| Nearest City | Ossipee |
| River/Stream | Buffalo Creek |
| Coordinates | 36.13470, -79.59800 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 720 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,484 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,484 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,320 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Max Discharge | 248 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Fire Protection, Stock, Or Small Fish Pond |
| Owner | Linda H. Little Revocable Inter Vivos Trust |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 02/23/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC00673 |
| Federal ID | NC00673 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |