South Fork Broad River Ws #19
South Fork Broad River Ws #19 is an earth dam located in Oglethorpe County, Georgia, built in 1968. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About South Fork Broad River Ws #19
The primary purpose of South Fork Broad River Ws #19 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 Broad River S&wcd-washington (state). It impounds the Hawks Creek near Augusta.
The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 510 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 25 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,815 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3,854 square miles. Completed in 1968, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/16/2016. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 88% 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 | Oglethorpe |
| Nearest City | Augusta |
| River/Stream | Hawks Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.97694, -83.18528 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Length | 510 ft |
| Year Completed | 1968 (58 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,815 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,815 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 119 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 25 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3,854 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Broad River S&wcd-Washington |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 08/16/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | GA00418 |
| Federal ID | GA00418 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |