Shelton Lake Dam

About Shelton Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Shelton Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by O'brien Southern Trenching, Inc. (private). It impounds the Muddy Creek near Winston-salem.

The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 99 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1955, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years 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 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 08/13/2024.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% 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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