Bell's Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Oconee County, Georgia, built in 1957. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 20 ft20 ft tall and 351 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Bell's Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Bell's Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Jeffrey B. Bell (private). It impounds the Porters Creek near Watkinsville.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 351 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 15 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 180 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 500 square miles. Completed in 1957, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. The most recent inspection on record was 06/01/2004. That was over 22 years ago.
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Location
| State | Georgia |
| County | Oconee |
| Nearest City | Watkinsville |
| River/Stream | Porters Creek |
| Coordinates | 33.84500, -83.40778 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 351 ft |
| Year Completed | 1957 (69 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 180 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 180 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 124 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 15 acres |
| Drainage Area | 500 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Jeffrey B. Bell |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 06/01/2004 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | GA00440 |
| Federal ID | GA00440 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |