Forest Lake Dam

About Forest Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake Property Owners Association Inc (private). It impounds the Gills Creek.

The dam stands 22 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 129 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,515 acre-feet. Completed in 1900, the structure is over a century 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 10/31/2023.

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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