269
High Hazard
148
Significant
648
Low Hazard
Dam Safety in Kentucky
Kentucky has 1,065 dams tracked in the National Inventory of Dams. Of these, 269 (25%) are classified as high hazard — meaning failure would probably cause loss of human life — and 148 are classified as significant hazard. Currently, 279 dams in the state have a condition assessment of poor or unsatisfactory, indicating recognized safety deficiencies.
The average dam in Kentucky is 60 years old. The most common purpose for dams in Kentucky is recreation, accounting for 481 of the state's dams.
The federal inventory is not every dam in Kentucky. It includes dams rated high or significant hazard, plus low-hazard dams above a size threshold (taller than 25 feet holding more than 15 acre-feet, or taller than 6 feet holding more than 50 acre-feet). Small, older dams below that line are usually left out, even though they can still shape the streams around them. The state's own dam safety program often tracks many more, and it is the agency that inspects most of them.
Use the search above to find dams near any address in Kentucky, or browse by county below. Each dam listing includes its hazard potential classification, condition assessment, physical characteristics, and inspection history from the NID.
Kentucky Dam Facts
| Total Dams | 1,065 |
| High Hazard Dams | 269 |
| Average Dam Age | 60 years |
| Tallest Dam | 700 ft |
| Largest Reservoir | 7,535,400 acre-ft |
| Poor/Unsatisfactory Condition | 279 |
Notable Dams in Kentucky
Explore Kentucky Dams
Counties in Kentucky
Adair2 damsAllen2 dams1 high hazardAnderson4 dams1 high hazardBallard4 damsBarren3 damsBath9 dams4 high hazardBell10 dams7 high hazardBoone20 dams2 high hazardBourbon6 damsBoyd4 dams2 high hazardBoyle2 dams1 high hazardBracken4 damsBreathitt3 dams3 high hazardBreckinridge11 damsBullitt19 dams4 high hazardButler12 damsCaldwell11 damsCalloway8 dams1 high hazardCampbell11 dams6 high hazardCarlisle23 dams1 high hazardCarroll6 dams1 high hazardCarter6 dams3 high hazardCasey3 dams2 high hazardChristian30 dams4 high hazardClark4 dams1 high hazardClay3 dams2 high hazardClinton2 damsCrittenden4 damsDaviess17 dams2 high hazardEdmonson6 dams1 high hazardElliott1 damsEstill8 dams1 high hazardFayette21 dams6 high hazardFleming11 dams6 high hazardFloyd4 dams4 high hazardFranklin9 damsGallatin5 dams1 high hazardGarrard6 dams1 high hazardGrant11 dams3 high hazardGraves26 dams2 high hazardGrayson17 dams3 high hazardGreenup7 dams1 high hazardHancock14 dams1 high hazardHardin14 dams7 high hazardHarlan8 dams8 high hazardHarrison6 damsHart1 damsHenderson12 dams1 high hazardHenry20 dams3 high hazardHickman4 damsHopkins20 dams14 high hazardJackson7 dams5 high hazardJefferson36 dams10 high hazardJessamine8 dams2 high hazardJohnson3 dams2 high hazardKenton18 dams5 high hazardKnott6 dams4 high hazardKnox8 dams1 high hazardLarue5 dams2 high hazardLaurel10 dams2 high hazardLawrence3 dams2 high hazardLee15 dams1 high hazardLeslie10 dams8 high hazardLetcher7 dams6 high hazardLewis1 damsLincoln11 dams4 high hazardLivingston4 dams1 high hazardLogan17 damsLyon3 dams1 high hazardMadison19 dams9 high hazardMagoffin1 damsMarion6 dams3 high hazardMarshall5 dams3 high hazardMartin7 dams6 high hazardMason8 damsMcCracken3 damsMcCreary8 dams1 high hazardMcLean2 damsMeade5 damsMenifee3 dams2 high hazardMercer7 dams2 high hazardMetcalfe2 damsMonroe3 dams1 high hazardMontgomery10 dams4 high hazardMuhlenberg36 dams4 high hazardNelson22 dams1 high hazardNicholas3 dams2 high hazardOhio11 dams2 high hazardOldham17 dams3 high hazardOwen11 damsOwsley2 dams1 high hazardPendleton4 dams1 high hazardPerry18 dams15 high hazardPike16 dams15 high hazardPowell9 dams3 high hazardPulaski6 damsRobertson1 damsRockcastle1 dams1 high hazardRowan3 dams2 high hazardRussell4 dams1 high hazardScott19 dams3 high hazardShelby30 dams2 high hazardSimpson3 damsSpencer9 dams2 high hazardTaylor9 dams1 high hazardTodd12 dams1 high hazardTrigg10 damsTrimble4 damsUnion23 dams6 high hazardWarren4 damsWashington16 dams2 high hazardWebster9 dams1 high hazardWhitley6 dams1 high hazardWolfe3 dams1 high hazardWoodford9 dams
High Hazard Dams in Kentucky
| Dam | County | Height | Condition | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abner Fork Dam | Harlan | 700 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Sidney Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 665 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Long Fork Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 665 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Half Mile Dam | Leslie | 545 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Bloss Branch Slurry Dam | Clay | 535 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Oldhouse Branch Slurry Impoundment | Letcher | 481 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Adams Fork Slurry Dam | Leslie | 480 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Sukey Branch Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 478 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Rob Fork Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 450 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Cow Branch Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 442 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Turkeypen Branch Slurry Impoundment | Harlan | 425 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Razorblade Branch Slurry Impoundment | Letcher | 422 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Burke Branch Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 421 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Big Groundhog Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 412 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Four Seam Slurry Dam | Perry | 410 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Clay Hollow Slurry Impoundment | Letcher | 375 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Right Fork Dam | Harlan | 370 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Upper Lick Branch Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 370 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Stonecoal Branch Slurry Dam | Perry | 365 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Lovely Branch Slurry Dam | Leslie | 360 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Big Hollow Slurry Impoundment | Martin | 356 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Arjay Slurry Impoundment | Bell | 355 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Four Mile Branch Slurry Dam | Knott | 350 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Beartree Branch Slurry Impoundment | Harlan | 345 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Bennetts Branch Slurry Dam | Whitley | 340 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Brushy Fork Slurry Dam | Knott | 332 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Right Fork Slurry Dam | Perry | 329 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Little Camp Slurry Impoundment | Bell | 320 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Scotts Branch Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 305 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Big Branch Impoundment | Knott | 304 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Buckeye Creek Dam | Perry | 300 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Left Fork Dam | Leslie | 295 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Fugate Fork Dam | Breathitt | 295 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Peter Cave Fresh Water Impoundment | Martin | 290 ft | Not assessed | Other |
| Dix River Dam | Mercer | 287 ft | Satisfactory | Hydroelectric |
| Millstone Branch Slurry Impoundment No. 1 | Pike | 285 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| High Ridge Slurry Impoundment | Pike | 285 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Laurel Dam | Laurel | 282 ft | Not assessed | Recreation |
| Slurry Impoundment 401 | Breathitt | 280 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Lackey Branch Slurry Impoundment | Johnson | 265 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Stoney Fork Slurry Dam | Bell | 264 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Grants Branch Impoundment | Pike | 259 ft | Satisfactory | Recreation |
| Bear Branch Slurry Impoundment | Lawrence | 258 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Wolf Creek Dam | Russell | 258 ft | Not assessed | Hydroelectric |
| Lick Branch Refuse Impoundment | Pike | 250 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Britton Branch Refuse Dam | Leslie | 250 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Ku Ghent Atb 2 | Carroll | 222 ft | Satisfactory | Other |
| King Branch Slurry Dam | Knott | 214 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Kentucky Dam | Livingston | 206 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Saddle Fork Dam | Perry | 200 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Millstone Branch Slurry Impoundment No.2 | Pike | 200 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Butler Branch Refuse Disposal Facility | Floyd | 195 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Fishtrap Dam | Pike | 195 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Betsie Branch Refuse Impoundment | Bell | 191 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Middle Fork Impoundment | Martin | 190 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Wood Creek Lake Dam | Laurel | 172 ft | Fair | Water Supply |
| Nolin River Dam | Edmonson | 167 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Taylorsville Dam | Spencer | 162 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| River View Slurry Lake 02i | Union | 160 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Paintsville Dam | Johnson | 160 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Buckhorn Dam | Perry | 160 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Barkley Lock and Dam | Lyon | 157 ft | Not assessed | Navigation |
| Yatesville Dam | Lawrence | 156 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Lick Branch Refuse Dam | Perry | 150 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Harris Branch Slurry Dam | Perry | 150 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Cave Run Dam | Bath | 148 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| River View West Slurry Lake | Union | 146 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Barren River Dam | Allen | 146 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Green River Dam | Taylor | 144 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Tom Hollow Refuse Disposal Facility | Floyd | 132 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Rough River Dam | Grayson | 132 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Roark Branch Fresh Water Dam | Leslie | 130 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Cannon Creek Dam | Bell | 125 ft | Poor | Water Supply |
| Cranks Creek Lake Dam | Harlan | 120 ft | Poor | Recreation |
| Martins Fork Dam | Harlan | 120 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Grayson Dam | Carter | 120 ft | Not assessed | Flood Risk Reduction |
| E.w. Brown Auxiliary Ash Pond | Mercer | 112 ft | Satisfactory | Other |
| Banklick Creek Frs No 3 | Kenton | 112 ft | Fair | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Fishpond Lake Dam | Letcher | 105 ft | Fair | Recreation |
| Sediment Dam | Perry | 100 ft | Not assessed | Other |
| Robin Branch Sediment Dam | Leslie | 92 ft | Not assessed | Other |
| Slurry Lake 04i | Union | 86 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Cedar Creek Dam | Lincoln | 86 ft | Satisfactory | Recreation |
| Rowdy Branch Dam | Perry | 82 ft | Not assessed | Other |
| Fagan Branch Dam | Marion | 78 ft | Satisfactory | Water Supply |
| Willisburg Lake Dam | Washington | 77 ft | Poor | Water Supply |
| Red Lick Creek Frs 2 | Madison | 77 ft | Fair | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Lg&e Mill Creek Station Dam | Jefferson | 77 ft | Fair | Other |
| Taylor Fork Lake Dam | Madison | 76 ft | Poor | Recreation |
| Carcass Branch Fresh Water Impoundment | Martin | 73 ft | Not assessed | Water Supply |
| Renfro Dam | Rockcastle | 72 ft | Poor | Water Supply |
| James C Harris Dam | Lincoln | 72 ft | Fair | Water Supply |
| Justus Dam | McCreary | 71 ft | Not assessed | Other |
| Greenbo Lake Dam | Greenup | 70 ft | Poor | Recreation |
| Winchester Dam | Clark | 70 ft | Fair | Water Supply |
| Slurry Lake 07i | Union | 69 ft | Not assessed | Tailings |
| Wiley Miller Dam | Perry | 68 ft | Poor | Recreation |
| Lake Carnico Dam | Nicholas | 68 ft | Poor | Recreation |
| Corinth Lake Dam | Grant | 67 ft | Poor | Recreation |
| Beech Creek Dam | Clay | 67 ft | Poor | Water Supply |