Lower Little Tallapoosa River W/s Str. # 86

About Lower Little Tallapoosa River W/s Str. # 86

The primary purpose of Lower Little Tallapoosa River W/s Str. # 86 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 Bowdon (local government). It impounds the Turkey Creek near Bowden.

The dam stands 42 feet tall and stretches 1,830 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 166 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 7,546 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 11,176 square miles. Completed in 1981, the structure is 45 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/18/2017. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 42 feet, this dam is taller than 89% 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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