Carter Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Randolph County, North Carolina, built in 1949. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 23 ft23 ft tall and 360 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 Carter Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Carter Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Judy Carter (private). It impounds the Mill Creek near Coleridge.
The dam stands 23 feet tall and stretches 360 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 51 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1949, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 01/08/2025.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Randolph |
| Nearest City | Coleridge |
| River/Stream | Mill Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.69530, -79.72350 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 23 ft |
| Dam Length | 360 ft |
| Year Completed | 1949 (77 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 51 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 51 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 43 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 4 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 148 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Judy Carter |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 01/08/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC00710 |
| Federal ID | NC00710 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |