Hope Mills Dam #1

About Hope Mills Dam #1

The primary purpose of Hope Mills Dam #1 is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Town Of Hope Mills (local government). It impounds the Little Rockfish Creek.

The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 550 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 68 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,175 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 96 square miles. Completed in 1921, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/19/2025.

At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% of dams nationwide.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The North Carolina dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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