Great Falls Estate Dam is an earth dam located in Montgomery County, Maryland, built in 1963. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 34 ft34 ft tall and 300 ft long, taller than 78% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. 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 Great Falls Estate Dam
The primary purpose of Great Falls Estate Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Potomac Falls Nature Conservancy Assoc (private). It impounds the Cool Spring Branch.
The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 5 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 134 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1963, 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 10/26/2016.
At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 78% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Maryland |
| County | Montgomery |
| River/Stream | Cool Spring Branch |
| Coordinates | 39.01200, -77.23610 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 34 ft |
| Dam Height | 34 ft |
| Dam Length | 300 ft |
| Year Completed | 1963 (63 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 134 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 134 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 34 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 5 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 160 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Potomac Falls Nature Conservancy Assoc |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 10/26/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MD00049 |
| Federal ID | MD00049 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |