Elk Garden Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Bedford County, Virginia. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 30 ft30 ft tall and 300 ft long, taller than 68% 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 Elk Garden Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Elk Garden Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Elk Garden Club, Inc. (private). It impounds the Trib-boyle Creek.
The dam stands 30 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 83 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/26/2010. That was 16 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
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 | Bedford |
| River/Stream | Trib-boyle Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.42230, -79.50090 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 30 ft |
| Dam Height | 30 ft |
| Dam Length | 300 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 83 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 83 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 66 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 6 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Elk Garden Club, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 04/26/2010 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VA019030 |
| Federal ID | VA019030 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |