Upstream: I 73-US 220 Bridge

Randleman Dam

Downstream: Union Factory (Randleman)

This dam stands about one mile below I 73. Swain (1880 & 1899) says Island Ford Shoal was an undeveloped site with a 10 12 foot fall, about 2 miles above Union Factory. This site would have to be under Randleman Lake. Saville (1924) recommended a 50 foot high dam for this location which would have flooded about 9 miles of the river including Walker's Mill and Coletrane's Mill. The report mentioned that Walker's Mill had already been purchased by one of the cotton mills in Randleman for such a purpose (ie a new higher dam at Randleman).

Although the new higher cotton mill dam was never built, the Randleman dam project did get built. It was first sponsored by the Army Corps of Engineers for flood control purposes, but the ACE abandoned the porject and it was taken over by the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority for water supply purposes. This project was built around 2005. I have not determined the height of this new dam, but it must be considerably higher than Saville's proposed 50 feet, as it floods further upstream than Coletrane's Mill.

Areas for Research

• When was this first built?