South Fork Mccorkle Creek Detention Dam

About South Fork Mccorkle Creek Detention Dam

The primary purpose of South Fork Mccorkle Creek Detention 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 Cowlitz Cnty (local government). It impounds the South Fork Mccorkle Creek near Lexington.

The dam stands 22 feet tall and stretches 625 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 0 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 322 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1989, the structure is 37 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 01/04/2019. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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

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