List of dam removals in North Carolina

This is a list of dams in North Carolina that have been removed as physical impediments to free-flowing rivers or streams.

The 2010 removal of the Dillsboro Dam from the Tuckasegee River in Dillsboro

Completed removals

Dam	Height	Year removed	Location	Watercourse	Watershed	Notes
Lower Big Hungry Dam	40 ft (12 m)	2015	Henderson 35.2931°N 82.3558°W / 35.2931; -82.3558 (Lower Big Hungry Dam)	Hungry River	Broad River	Municipal hydroelectric dam.
Buckhorn Dam		2010	Sanford 35.5314°N 78.9755°W / 35.5314; -78.9755 (Buckhorn Dam)	Buckhorn Creek	Cape Fear River	Hydropower dam owned by Progress Energy Inc.
Harnett Metals Dam	16 ft (4.9 m)	1999	Harnett County 35.2215°N 78.9453°W / 35.2215; -78.9453 (Harnett Metals Dam)	Tributary to Jumping Run Creek		Recreation dam.
Phillips Creek Dam	19 ft (5.8 m)	2014	Bladen County 34.7389°N 78.7516°W / 34.7389; -78.7516 (Phillips Creek Dam)	Philips Creek		Recreation dam.
Windermere Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)		Mecklenburg County 35.091°N 80.813°W / 35.091; -80.813 (Windermere Dam)	Tributary to McAlpine Creek	Catawba River	Recreation dam.
Shuford Mill Dam	35 ft (11 m)	2016	Brookford 35.7013°N 81.3474°W / 35.7013; -81.3474 (Shuford Mill Dam)	Henry Fork River
Rowland Lake Lower Dam (Ray Durham Lower Dam)	26 ft (7.9 m)	2004	Gaston County 35.3417°N 81.1156°W / 35.3417; -81.1156 (Rowland Lake Lower Dam (Ray Durham Lower Dam))	Tributary to Mauney Creek		Recreation dam.
Walker Pond Dam	16 ft (4.9 m)	2006	Burke County 35.7157°N 81.7258°W / 35.7157; -81.7258 (Walker Pond Dam)	Tributary to Bailey Fork		Recreation dam.
Lady Marion Dam	26 ft (7.9 m)	2019	McDowell County 35.6939°N 82.0256°W / 35.6939; -82.0256 (Lady Marion Dam)	Garden Creek		Recreation dam.
Carbonton Dam		2005	Carbonton 35.5198°N 79.3471°W / 35.5198; -79.3471 (Carbonton Dam)	Deep River	Deep River
Deep River Farm Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)		Guilford County 36.0369°N 79.9521°W / 36.0369; -79.9521 (Deep River Farm Dam)	Tributary to East Fork Deep River		Recreation dam.
Hoosier Dam (Reeves Lake Dam)	25 ft (7.6 m)	2018	Chatham County 35.6356°N 79.2111°W / 35.6356; -79.2111 (Hoosier Dam (Reeves Lake Dam))	Rocky River		Hydropower dam owned by Rocky River Hydro.
Rush Mountain Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2017	Henderson 35.2459°N 82.4702°W / 35.2459; -82.4702 (Rush Mountain Dam)	Greer Creek	French Broad River	Amenity pond.
Lake Craig Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)	1952	Buncombe County 35.5819°N 82.4932°W / 35.5819; -82.4932 (Lake Craig Dam)	Swannanoa River		Recreation dam.
Granite Mill Dam	2 ft (0.61 m)	2016	Haw River 36.0905°N 79.3695°W / 36.0905; -79.3695 (Granite Mill Dam)	Haw River	Haw River	Mill dam.
Granite Mill Dam 2		2016	Haw River 36.0905°N 79.3695°W / 36.0905; -79.3695 (Granite Mill Dam 2)
Granite Mill Dam 3		2016	Haw River 36.0905°N 79.3695°W / 36.0905; -79.3695 (Granite Mill Dam 3)
Upper Swepsonville Dam (Puryear Dam)	3.5 ft (1.1 m)	2013	Swepsonville 36.0239°N 79.3663°W / 36.0239; -79.3663 (Upper Swepsonville Dam (Puryear Dam))			Gristmill and sawmill dam owned by the Town of Swepsonville at the time of its removal.
White Oak Lake Dam	21 ft (6.4 m)		Guilford County 36.1085°N 79.7671°W / 36.1085; -79.7671 (White Oak Lake Dam)	Tributary to North Buffalo Creek		Water supply dam.
A D W Dam	11 ft (3.4 m)		Guilford County 36.045°N 79.833°W / 36.045; -79.833 (A D W Dam)	Tributary to South Buffalo Creek		Recreation dam.
Shuler Creek Dam	4 ft (1.2 m)	2020	Cherokee County 35.181°N 84.2908°W / 35.181; -84.2908 (Shuler Creek Dam)	Shuler Creek	Hiwassee River	Owned by the U.S. Forest Service.
Little Buck Creek Pond Dam	30 ft (9.1 m)	2016	Clay County 35.0605°N 83.5718°W / 35.0605; -83.5718 (Little Buck Creek Pond Dam)	Little Tennessee River	Little Tennessee River	Mill dam.
Forney Ridge Dam		1988	Great Smoky Mountains National Park 35.5211°N 83.5429°W / 35.5211; -83.5429 (Forney Ridge Dam)	Forney Creek
Dillsboro Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2010	Dillsboro 35.3665°N 83.25°W / 35.3665; -83.25 (Dillsboro Dam)	Tuckasegee River		Hydropower dam owned by Duke Energy.
Santeetlah Fish Barrier	8 ft (2.4 m)	2016	Graham County 35.3668°N 83.9153°W / 35.3668; -83.9153 (Santeetlah Fish Barrier)	Santeetlah Creek		Rough fish barrier.
Eno Dam		2007	Orange County 36.0473°N 79.0109°W / 36.0473; -79.0109 (Eno Dam)	Eno River	Neuse River
Ailey Young Park Dam		2019	Wake Forest 35.9808°N 78.4961°W / 35.9808; -78.4961 (Ailey Young Park Dam)	Tributary to Dunn Creek		Farm pond dam owned by the Town of Wake Forest.
Cherry Hospital Dam	7 ft (2.1 m)	1998	Goldsboro 35.3916°N 78.0261°W / 35.3916; -78.0261 (Cherry Hospital Dam)	Little River
Lowell Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2006	Kenly 35.566°N 78.1602°W / 35.566; -78.1602 (Lowell Dam)			Mill dam.
Rains Mill Dam		1999	Princeton 35.4822°N 78.1437°W / 35.4822; -78.1437 (Rains Mill Dam)
Temple Sloan Dam (Whitley Dam)	19 ft (5.8 m)	2002	Wake County 35.7777°N 78.4411°W / 35.7777; -78.4411 (Temple Sloan Dam (Whitley Dam))	Marks Creek		Recreation dam.
Crantock Mill Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2008	Smithfield 35.5227°N 78.4668°W / 35.5227; -78.4668 (Crantock Mill Dam)	Middle Creek
Milburnie Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2017	Wake County 35.8004°N 78.5396°W / 35.8004; -78.5396 (Milburnie Dam)	Neuse River		Saw mill, gristmill, papermill, and hydropower dam.
Quaker Neck Dam	7 ft (2.1 m)	1998	Wayne County 35.367°N 78.083°W / 35.367; -78.083 (Quaker Neck Dam)			Dam provided cooling water for a steam plant. Owned by the Carolina Power & Light Company.
Payne Branch Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)	2020	Watauga County 36.1841°N 81.6523°W / 36.1841; -81.6523 (Payne Branch Dam)	Middle Fork South Fork New River	New River	Hydropower dam owned by New River Light & Power.
Cane River Dam	45 ft (14 m)	2016	Burnsville 35.9039°N 82.3319°W / 35.9039; -82.3319 (Cane River Dam)	Cane River	Nolichucky River	Hydropower dam.
Plumtree Dam		1993	Avery County 36.0258°N 82.0095°W / 36.0258; -82.0095 (Plumtree Dam)	North Toe River
Altapass Dam		2010	Pisgah National Forest 35.8886°N 81.9863°W / 35.8886; -81.9863 (Altapass Dam)	Roses Creek
Spruce Pine Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2009	Spruce Pine 35.923°N 82.0887°W / 35.923; -82.0887 (Spruce Pine Dam)	Toe River		Power generation.
Old Troy Dam No. 2		2013	Montgomery County 35.3874°N 79.8681°W / 35.3874; -79.8681 (Old Troy Dam No. 2)	Densons Creek	Pee Dee River	Recreation dam.
Troy Dam No. 1	6 ft (1.8 m)	2012	Troy 35.3872°N 79.868°W / 35.3872; -79.868 (Troy Dam No. 1)	Densons Creek		Water supply dam.
Chandlers Dynamo Dam	5 ft (1.5 m)	2012	Troy 35.368°N 79.838°W / 35.368; -79.838 (Chandlers Dynamo Dam)	Little River
Smitherman's Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2013	Troy 35.3437°N 79.853°W / 35.3437; -79.853 (Smitherman's Dam)			Cotton mill dam owned by the Town of Troy a prior to its removal.
Baucom Lake Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)		Union County 35.041°N 80.5043°W / 35.041; -80.5043 (Baucom Lake Dam)	Flag Branch		Recreation dam.
Freedom Park Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	2002	Norwood 35.194°N 80.1031°W / 35.194; -80.1031 (Freedom Park Dam)	Little Sugar Creek
Steele's Mill Dam	15 ft (4.6 m)	2009	Richmond County 34.9195°N 79.8288°W / 34.9195; -79.8288 (Steele's Mill Dam)	Hitchcock Creek		Hydropower dam owned by the City of Rockingham.
Yellow Jacket Lake Dam	26 ft (7.9 m)		Wilkes County 36.094°N 81.195°W / 36.094; -81.195 (Yellow Jacket Lake Dam)	Moravian Creek		Recreation dam.
Baker Dam (Miller Dam)	19 ft (5.8 m)		Forsyth County 36.115°N 80.13°W / 36.115; -80.13 (Baker Dam (Miller Dam))	Tributary to Smith Creek		Recreation dam.
Watts Lake Dam	31 ft (9.4 m)	1997	Alexander County 36.0289°N 81.1334°W / 36.0289; -81.1334 (Watts Lake Dam)	Tributary to South Yadkin River		Recreation dam.
Lassiter Mill Dam	12 ft (3.7 m)	2013	Randolph County 35.5644°N 79.973°W / 35.5644; -79.973 (Lassiter Mill Dam)	Uwharrie River		Gristmill dam
Hutchens Dam	23 ft (7.0 m)	1998	Randolph County 35.874°N 80.002°W / 35.874; -80.002 (Hutchens Dam)	Tributary to Uwharrie River		Recreation dam.
Ash Bear Pen Dam	10 ft (3.0 m)	1990	Blowing Rock 36.1299°N 81.7679°W / 36.1299; -81.7679 (Ash Bear Pen Dam)	Cold Prong Creek	Watauga River
Yonahlossee Dam			Watauga County 36.1716°N 81.7161°W / 36.1716; -81.7161 (Yonahlossee Dam)	Lance Creek
Ward Mill Dam	20 ft (6.1 m)	2021	Watauga County 36.2413°N 81.8304°W / 36.2413; -81.8304 (Ward Mill Dam)	Watauga River		Hydropower dam.
Unnamed dam	3 ft (0.91 m)	2009	Watauga County	Sims Creek		Located near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Umstead Dam		2016		Cape Fear Basin

See also

• List of dam removals in Georgia (U.S. state)
• List of dam removals in South Carolina
• List of dam removals in Tennessee
• List of dam removals in Virginia

External links

• Media related to Removed dams in North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons