Walter Richards Lake Dam

About Walter Richards Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Walter Richards Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Uxau Hatchee Llc (private). It impounds the Unknown near Lake Harding Community.

The dam stands 44 feet tall and stretches 825 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 41 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,044 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 224 square miles. Completed in 1940, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/13/2019. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 44 feet, this dam is taller than 90% of dams nationwide.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Georgia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.