Lakewood Dam dam
Lakewood Dam
Lakewood Dam, located in Lancaster, South Carolina, was completed in 1950 and serves as a crucial water resource for the surrounding area. With a primary purpose of recreation, this earth dam stands at 16 feet in height and spans 380 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 108 acre-feet. Despite its low hazard potential, the dam's condition assessment is currently rated as poor, highlighting the need for maintenance and potential renovations to ensure its long-term stability.
Owned privately, Lakewood Dam is regulated by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) with state jurisdiction and permitting in place. The dam overlooks TR-Gills Creek and offers a surface area of 14 acres for recreational activities. While the dam's risk assessment and emergency preparedness are currently unspecified, its last inspection in 2017 raised concerns about its deteriorating condition, prompting the need for a closer evaluation of its structural integrity and safety measures.
As a vital component of the local water infrastructure, Lakewood Dam plays a significant role in water management and recreational opportunities in the region. Climate and water resource enthusiasts are encouraged to monitor updates on the dam's condition and maintenance efforts to ensure the continued safety and functionality of this important structure for both the community and the environment.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Lakewood Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Waxhaw Creek At Sr1103 Near Jackson | 1 cfs | → |
| Catawba River Below Catawba | 956 cfs | → |
| Fishing Creek Below Fort Lawn | 35 cfs | → |
| Rocky Creek At Great Falls | 13 cfs | → |
| Catawba River Near Rockhill | 777 cfs | → |
| Wildcat Creek Below Rock Hill | 6 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lakewood Dam.
Boat launches
- Lancaster County
- Catawba Nation Greenway Trail York County
- Green Road Lancaster County
- Waterford Trail Rock Hill
- Piedmont Medical Center Trail York County
- New Gray Rock Road Tega Cay
Campgrounds
- Cane Creek Park
- Andrew Jackson State Park
- Williams Farm
- Sign Language
- Lake Wateree State Rec Area
- Wateree Military
Track Lakewood Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Lakewood Dam
Where does the data for Lakewood Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Low hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Lakewood Dam.