Etowah River Reach Ws Str # 23

About Etowah River Reach Ws Str # 23

The primary purpose of Etowah River Reach Ws Str # 23 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 Upper Chattahoochee River Swcd (state). It impounds the Unknown near Dawsonville.

The dam stands 29 feet tall and stretches 560 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 6 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 225 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 472 square miles. Completed in 1962, 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 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 03/15/2017. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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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