Gilliam Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Bladen County, North Carolina, built in 1949. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 22 ft22 ft tall and 315 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 Gilliam Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Gilliam Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Billy Blanks (private). It impounds the Cape Fear River near Riegelwood.
The dam stands 22 feet tall and stretches 315 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 40 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 540 acre-feet. 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. 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 07/12/2013. That was over 13 years ago.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Bladen |
| Nearest City | Riegelwood |
| River/Stream | Cape Fear River |
| Coordinates | 34.50160, -78.43780 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 22 ft |
| Dam Length | 315 ft |
| Year Completed | 1949 (77 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 540 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 540 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 450 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 40 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Billy Blanks |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 07/12/2013 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC01172 |
| Federal ID | NC01172 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |