Young Lake Dam
Young Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Fannin County, Georgia, built in 1971. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Young Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Young Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Frank Young (private). It impounds the Unknown near Blue Ridge.
The dam stands 37 feet tall and stretches 369 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 104 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 41 square miles. Completed in 1971, 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 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 03/01/2016. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 37 feet, this dam is taller than 84% 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.
Location
| State | Georgia |
| County | Fannin |
| Nearest City | Blue Ridge |
| River/Stream | Unknown |
| Coordinates | 34.85556, -84.39000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 37 ft |
| Dam Height | 37 ft |
| Dam Length | 369 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 104 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 104 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 90 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Drainage Area | 41 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Frank Young |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 03/01/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | GA02356 |
| Federal ID | GA02356 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |