Upper Cove Lake Dam

About Upper Cove Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Upper Cove Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Lakes At Vinings Multifamily Partners Llc;m&m Equities Inc (private).

The dam stands 26 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 20 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 87 square miles.

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 11/10/2016. That was 9 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

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.

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