Gordonsville Dam

About Gordonsville Dam

The primary purpose of Gordonsville Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Louisa County Water Authorty (public utility). It impounds the Dove Branch.

The dam stands 42 feet tall and stretches 500 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 79 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,950 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 14 square miles.

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 04/13/2022.

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 Virginia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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