Winston-salem Forsyth County Lagoon #3 Dam

About Winston-salem Forsyth County Lagoon #3 Dam

The primary purpose of Winston-salem Forsyth County Lagoon #3 Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Winston-salem/forsyth County Utilities (local government). It impounds the Salem Creek near Winston Salem.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 1,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 30 acre-feet.

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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/16/2024.

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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