Martin-marietta Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Catawba County, North Carolina, built in 1969. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 370 ft long, taller than 80% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. 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 Martin-marietta Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Martin-marietta Lake Dam is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (private). It impounds the Clarks Creek near Newton.
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 370 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 70 acre-feet. Completed in 1969, 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 02/26/2025.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Catawba |
| Nearest City | Newton |
| River/Stream | Clarks Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.71370, -81.29730 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 370 ft |
| Year Completed | 1969 (57 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 70 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 70 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 50 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1 acres |
| Max Discharge | 10 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 02/26/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC01203 |
| Federal ID | NC01203 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |