Soque River W/s Str. #29

Soque River W/s Str. #29 is an earth dam located in Habersham County, Georgia, built in 1975. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Soque River W/s Str. #29

The primary purpose of Soque River W/s Str. #29 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 Habersham County Board Of Commissioners (state). It impounds the Liberty Creek near Clarkesville.

The dam stands 54 feet tall and stretches 405 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 838 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2,605 square miles. Completed in 1975, 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/02/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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.

High HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateGeorgia
CountyHabersham
Nearest CityClarkesville
River/StreamLiberty Creek
Coordinates34.66531, -83.47786

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height54 ft
Dam Height54 ft
Dam Length405 ft
Year Completed1975 (51 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage838 acre-ft
Max Storage838 acre-ft
Surface Area10 acres
Drainage Area2,605 sq mi
Spillway TypeUncontrolled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFlood Risk Reduction
OwnerUpper Chattahoochee River SWCD Habersham County Board of Commissioners
Owner TypeState
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection05/02/2017
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDGA00651
Federal IDGA00651
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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