Forest Lake Dam

About Forest Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Forest Lake Dam is debris control. The dam is designed to catch sediment, rocks, and debris carried by flowing water — particularly important in areas prone to mudslides or heavy erosion. The dam is owned by Forest Lake Homeowners Association;phillip Lowe;tommy Vlahos (private). It impounds the Middle Swamp.

The dam stands 16 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 172 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,617 acre-feet. Completed in 1962, 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/12/2023.

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

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