Franklin

Franklin is a gravity dam located in Macon County, North Carolina, built in 1925. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.

About Franklin

The primary purpose of Franklin is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by Northbrook Carolina Hydro Ii, Llc (private). It impounds the Little Tennessee River near Iotla.

The dam stands 36 feet tall and stretches 463 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 174 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 310 square miles. Completed in 1925, the structure is over a century 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. 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 09/21/2022.

At 36 feet, this dam is taller than 83% of dams nationwide.

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Low HazardSatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateNorth Carolina
CountyMacon
Nearest CityIotla
River/StreamLittle Tennessee River
Coordinates35.21936, -83.37113

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeGravity
NID Height36 ft
Dam Height30 ft
Dam Length463 ft
Year Completed1925 (101 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage500 acre-ft
Max Storage500 acre-ft
Normal Storage500 acre-ft
Surface Area174 acres
Drainage Area310 sq mi
Max Discharge68,000 cfs
Spillway TypeControlled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeHydroelectric
OwnerNorthbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentSatisfactory
Last Inspection09/21/2022
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDNC00140
Federal IDNC00140
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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