Hightower Creek W/s Str. #18
Hightower Creek W/s Str. #18 is an earth dam located in Towns County, Georgia, built in 1960. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Hightower Creek W/s Str. #18
The primary purpose of Hightower Creek W/s Str. #18 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 Blue Ridge Mountain Swcd;towns County Board Of Commissioners (state). It impounds the Scataway Creek near Pine Grove Community.
The dam stands 54 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 405 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1960, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/01/2009. That was 17 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 54 feet, this dam is taller than 94% 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 | Towns |
| Nearest City | Pine Grove Community |
| River/Stream | Scataway Creek |
| Coordinates | 34.95694, -83.67250 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 54 ft |
| Dam Height | 54 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1960 (66 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 405 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 405 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 27 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 4 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Blue Ridge Mountain SWCD;Towns County Board of Commissioners |
| Owner Type | State |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 04/01/2009 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | GA00638 |
| Federal ID | GA00638 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |