George B Stevenson

About George B Stevenson

The primary purpose of George B Stevenson 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 Dcnr (state). It impounds the First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek.

The dam stands 166 feet tall and stretches 1,925 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 142 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 127,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 243 square miles. Completed in 1956, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/06/2020.

At 166 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

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 Pennsylvania dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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