Town Creek Ws Str # 1

About Town Creek Ws Str # 1

The primary purpose of Town Creek Ws Str # 1 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by City Of Lafayette (local government). It impounds the Town Creek near Lafayette.

The dam stands 44 feet tall and stretches 1,345 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 258 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 11,137 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 7,230 square miles. Completed in 1978, the structure is 48 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/16/2017. That was 9 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.