Mountaintown Creek Ws Str # 4 is an earth dam located in Gilmer County, Georgia, built in 1961. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 59 ft59 ft tall and 290 ft long, taller than 95% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Mountaintown Creek Ws Str # 4
The primary purpose of Mountaintown Creek Ws Str # 4 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 Limestone Valley Swcd (state). It impounds the Tails Creek near Tails Creek Church Environs.
The dam stands 59 feet tall and stretches 290 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 447 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1,500 square miles. Completed in 1961, 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/30/2016. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 59 feet, this dam is taller than 95% of all dams in the United States.
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 | Gilmer |
| Nearest City | Tails Creek Church Environs |
| River/Stream | Tails Creek |
| Coordinates | 34.72600, -84.63816 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 59 ft |
| Dam Height | 59 ft |
| Dam Length | 290 ft |
| Year Completed | 1961 (65 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 447 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 447 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 21 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1,500 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Limestone Valley Swcd |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 03/30/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | GA00637 |
| Federal ID | GA00637 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |