Lower Bear Garden Swamp dam
Lower Bear Garden Swamp
Lower Bear Garden Swamp, located in Lowndes, Georgia, is a privately owned Earth dam with a maximum height of 8 feet and a length of 600 feet. This dam, also known as Bear Garden Swamp Lake Dam (Lower), is situated on Jumping Gulley Creek and serves a primary purpose of "Other." With a storage capacity of 80 acre-feet and a surface area of 17 acres, Lower Bear Garden Swamp plays a crucial role in managing water resources in the area.
Despite being classified with a low hazard potential and a moderate risk assessment, the condition of Lower Bear Garden Swamp has not been rated. The dam does not have controlled spillways or outlet gates, posing potential challenges in managing water discharge during extreme weather events. While the dam is not under state jurisdiction or regulation, its presence is essential for maintaining proper water levels and protecting the surrounding environment.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Lower Bear Garden Swamp represents a unique and vital piece of infrastructure in the region. Its role in managing water storage and flow on Jumping Gulley Creek highlights the importance of maintaining and monitoring dams to ensure safety and sustainability in the face of changing climate patterns and increasing water demand.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Lower Bear Garden Swamp -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Withlacoochee River Near Pinetta | 138 cfs | → |
| Alapaha River Near Jennings Fla | 113 cfs | → |
| Withlacoochee River At Us 84 | 177 cfs | → |
| Alapaha River At Statenville | 54 cfs | → |
| Withlacoochee River Nr Lee | 293 cfs | → |
| Withlacoochee River At Mcmillan Rd | 160 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lower Bear Garden Swamp.
Boat launches
- Madison Highway 6461, Valdosta
- Valdosta Highway, Valdosta
- Northeast River Park Road 1307, Lee
- Highway 94, Statenville
- County Road 249, Jasper
- Sneads Drive 96, Greenville
Campgrounds
Fishing spots
Track Lower Bear Garden Swamp in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Lower Bear Garden Swamp
Where does the data for Lower Bear Garden Swamp come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Low hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Lower Bear Garden Swamp.