South Bay Dike

About South Bay Dike

South Bay Dike is a dam in Columbus, North Carolina. The dam is owned by International Paper, Inc. (private). It impounds the Cape Fear River.

The dam stands 24 feet tall and stretches 6,850 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 180 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,700 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.

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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/13/2024.

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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