Lake George Dam

Lake George Dam is an earth dam located in McDowell County, North Carolina. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Lake George Dam

The primary purpose of Lake George Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Gateway Mountain Property Owners Assc., Inc. (private). It impounds the Sally Branch near Lake Lure.

The dam stands 37 feet tall and stretches 210 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 83 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 03/13/2023.

At 37 feet, this dam is taller than 84% of dams nationwide.

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Significant HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: No

Location

StateNorth Carolina
CountyMcDowell
Nearest CityLake Lure
River/StreamSally Branch
Coordinates35.53780, -82.16100

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height37 ft
Dam Length210 ft

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage83 acre-ft
Max Storage83 acre-ft
Normal Storage52 acre-ft
Surface Area4 acres
Drainage Area0 sq mi
Max Discharge830 cfs
Spillway TypeNone

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerGateway Mountain Property Owners Assc., Inc.
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection03/13/2023
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDNC05448
Federal IDNC05448
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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