Murcielago Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Albemarle County, Virginia, built in 1900. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 41 ft41 ft tall and 700 ft long, taller than 87% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Murcielago Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Murcielago Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Murcielago Enterprises, LLC (private). It impounds the Briery Creek.
The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 38 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 874 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/14/1991. That was 35 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 87% of dams nationwide.
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 Virginia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Virginia |
| County | Albemarle |
| River/Stream | Briery Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.86850, -78.43280 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1900 (126 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 874 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 874 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 516 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 38 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Murcielago Enterprises, LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 05/14/1991 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VA003147 |
| Federal ID | VA003147 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |