October 2015 South Carolina Dam Failures

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In October 2015, South Carolina received record amounts of rainfall which caused a 1000-year flood throughout much of the state. During this flood event, emergency orders were issued to many dams throughout the state, and 36 dams have been reported to have failed, 4 of which were unregulated. The failed (regulated) dams are shown on the map and listed in the table below.

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Dam Name County State Hazard Class* Primary Purpose Location
(decimal degrees)		 Dam Height
(meters)		 Dam Type Max Storage Capacity
(cubic meters)		 Emergency Action Plan
(Was a Plan Available?)
1 Corbett Lake SCNONAME 02027 Aiken C3 Recreation 33.648651,-81.211333 5.182 Earth 379912.411 No
2 SC NONAME 02019 (Bailey Pond) Aiken C3 Recreation 33.594676,-81.285939 4.267 Earth 104845.958 No
3 Able/Cobett Pond Dam Aiken C3 Recreation 33.62181631,-81.23376209 3.048 Earth 71541.948 No
4 Cook Pond Dam Kershaw C2 Recreation 34.15243939,-80.77560768 3.962 Earth 65374.538 Yes
5 Clyburn Lee C2 Recreation 34.329886,-80.302055 4.572 Earth 384846.339 Yes
6 Old Mill Pond Dam Lexington C1 Recreation 33.974641,-81.232641 6.096 Earth 542732.016 Yes
7 Barr Lake Dam Lexington C2 Recreation 33.958512,-81.259604 4.267 Earth 442819.986 Yes
8 Gibson's Pond Dam Lexington C2 Recreation 33.969067,-81.244925 4.572 Earth 296035.645 Yes
9 JW Smoaks Pond Orangeburg C2 Recreation 33.525181,-80.93454 3.962 Earth 133216.04 Yes
10 Cary's Lake Dam Richland C1 Recreation 34.048873,-80.957954 6.096 Earth 1184142.581 Yes
11 Lake Elizabeth Richland C1 Recreation 34.113028,-80.987693 3.2 Earth 320705.282 No
12 Lower Rocky Ford Dam /Rocky Ford Lake Richland C1 Recreation 34.036033,-80.952343 6.096 Earth 283700.827 Yes
13 Ulmers Pond Richland C1 Recreation 33.968661,-80.89535 5.182 Earth 118414.258 Yes
14 Upper Rocky Creek/ North Lake/Overcreek Rd. Richland C1 Recreation 34.040808,-80.951982 6.096 Earth 366344.111 Yes
15 Walden Place Dam Richland C1 Recreation 34.11678,-80.84591 7.62 Earth 345374.919 Yes
16 Beaver Dam/Wildewood Pond #2/Boyd Pond Two (Controlled release) Richland C2 Recreation 34.096382,-80.886478 7.315 Earth 346608.401 Yes
17 Covington Lake Dam Richland C2 Recreation 34.13463666,-80.97464885 4.877 Earth 93744.621 No
18 Murray Pond Dam Richland C2 Recreation 33.98543068,-80.70793299 4.877 Earth 1615861.23 No
19 Pinewood Lake Dam Richland C2 Recreation 33.94404929,-80.91198374 4.267 Earth 324405.728 Yes
20 Sunview Lake Dam Richland C2 Recreation 33.96735,-80.91163 3.353 Earth 288634.754 Yes
21 Wilson Millpond Dam Richland C2 Recreation 33.99992669,-80.74288775 4.267 Earth 165286.569 Yes
22 Semmes Lake Dam Richland Federal Recreation 34.004763,-80.941769 8.2296 Earth 790661.869 Yes
23 Weston Pond Dam Richland C3 Recreation 33.883093,-80.768417 3.962 Earth 399648.121 No
24 Clarkson Pond Dam Richland C3 Other 33.87006,-80.826624
25 Duffies Pond Dam Richland C2 Recreation 33.84433294,-80.85269049 4.267 Earth 888106.936 No
26 O E Rose Dam (SCNONAME 14001) Claredon C2 Recreation 33.80674348,-80.09057333 4.572 Earth 324405.728 No
27 Lakewood Pond Claredon C2 Recreation 33.7318223,-80.09334774 2.743 Earth 177621.387 No
28 Chapman's Pond Dam Darlington C2 Other 34.42,-79.941666 6.096 440353.022 No
29 Culler Pond (SCNONAME 38070) Orangeburg C3 Recreation 33.63670829,-81.15938027 4.267 Earth 107312.921 No
30 Busbees Pond ( Hutto's Millpond Dam) Orangeburg C2 Recreation 33.55656622,-81.05704327 3.962 Earth 224493.698 Yes
31 SCNONAME 38036 (Clevelnad Street) Orangeburg C3 Recreation 33.52294114,-80.51387012 3.048 Earth 223260.216 No
32 Ellerbees Millpond Dam Sumter C2 Recreation 34.06843763,-80.53162143 2.134 Earth 186255.76 No

*C1 – Failure may cause loss of life or serious damage to infrastructure.
C2 – Failure will not likely cause loss of life but may damage infrastructure.
C3 – Failure may cause limited property damage.

1 Reference: https://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/DisasterPreparedness/FloodUpdates/

If you have any further information about dams affected by the South Carolina floods please contact the NPDP.