Nicholson Lake Dam

About Nicholson Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Nicholson Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Vietnamese Elder Association South Atlanta (private). It impounds the Unknown near Rex.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 525 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 84 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 130 square miles. Completed in 1943, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/12/2016. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% 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.

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