Goshen Plantation Lake Dam

About Goshen Plantation Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Goshen Plantation Lake Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by G.p.g.c., Llc (private). It impounds the Unknown near Augusta.

The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 570 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 11 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 173 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 424 square miles. Completed in 1954, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/13/2014. That was 12 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

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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