Lake Salisbury Dam
Lake Salisbury Dam is an earth dam located in Chesterfield County, Virginia. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Lake Salisbury Dam
The primary purpose of Lake Salisbury Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Lake Salisbury Association (private). It impounds the Falling Creek.
The dam stands 38 feet tall and stretches 900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 38 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 990 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 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. 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 10/14/2022.
At 38 feet, this dam is taller than 85% 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 | Chesterfield |
| River/Stream | Falling Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.51830, -77.64380 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 38 ft |
| Dam Height | 38 ft |
| Dam Length | 900 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 990 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 990 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 645 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 38 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 10,303 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Lake Salisbury Association |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/14/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VA041036 |
| Federal ID | VA041036 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |