Kingston Lake Dam dam
Kingston Lake Dam
Kingston Lake Dam, also known as City No. 54, Kings Lake, or Kingston Lake in Norfolk, Virginia, is a local government-owned structure designed by Moffatt & Nichol. This earth dam serves primarily for flood risk reduction and recreation purposes, with a dam height of 7.8 feet and a length of 200 feet. It has a normal storage capacity of 55.4 acre-feet, providing essential water resource management for the area. The dam is state-regulated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, ensuring its compliance with inspection, permitting, and enforcement requirements.
Despite its low hazard potential, Kingston Lake Dam's condition assessment is poor and dates back to 2013, indicating a need for maintenance and improvement. The dam's risk assessment has been classified as moderate, highlighting the importance of implementing risk management measures to enhance its safety and reliability. While it currently has uncontrolled spillways and outlet gates, the dam's associated structures remain unlisted. As a key component of the local water infrastructure, Kingston Lake Dam plays a vital role in protecting the surrounding communities from flooding and supporting recreational activities along the Wolfsnare Creek to Lynnhaven River.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts interested in the conservation and management of dams will find Kingston Lake Dam to be a compelling case study. With its unique design features, state regulatory oversight, and identified maintenance needs, this dam presents an opportunity for stakeholders to collaborate on improving its condition and ensuring long-term sustainability. By addressing the dam's poor condition assessment and implementing effective risk management measures, the local government can enhance the resilience of Kingston Lake Dam and safeguard the water resources it serves for future generations.
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 Kingston Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Pasquotank River Near South Mills | 24 cfs | → |
| Blackwater River Near Dendron | 1 cfs | → |
| Blackwater River Near Franklin | 14 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Kingston Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Virginia Beach Boulevard 4336, Virginia Beach
- Osprey Trail Virginia Beach
- Lake Whitehurst Boat Ramp
- General Booth Boulevard Virginia Beach
- Mayflower Road 4601, Norfolk
- Willoughby Boat Ramp
Track Kingston Lake 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 Kingston Lake Dam
Where does the data for Kingston Lake 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 Kingston Lake Dam.