Fair Lake Dam

Fair Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Scotland County, North Carolina, built in 1952. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.

About Fair Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Fair Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Scotland Soil And Water Conservation (local government). It impounds the Gum Swamp Creek near Dillon, Sc.

The dam stands 14 feet tall and stretches 521 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 8 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 54 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1952, 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 12/14/2022.

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Significant HazardPoor ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateNorth Carolina
CountyScotland
Nearest CityDillon, Sc
River/StreamGum Swamp Creek
Coordinates34.74180, -79.51710

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height14 ft
Dam Length521 ft
Year Completed1952 (74 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage54 acre-ft
Max Storage54 acre-ft
Normal Storage45 acre-ft
Surface Area8 acres
Drainage Area2 sq mi
Max Discharge43 cfs
Spillway TypeNone

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerScotland Soil and Water Conservation
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentPoor
Last Inspection12/14/2022
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDNC01092
Federal IDNC01092
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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