Lake Matthews Dam dam
Lake Matthews Dam
Lake Matthews Dam, located in Gwinnett, Georgia, was completed in 1955 and stands at a height of 23 feet with a length of 345 feet. The dam's primary purpose is for recreation, offering a surface area of 47 acres and a storage capacity of 272 acre-feet. It is situated on Poole Creek and is regulated by the Georgia Safe Dams Program, with inspections conducted regularly to ensure its satisfactory condition.
The dam is classified as an earth dam with a buttress core type, posing a high hazard potential due to its location and design. Despite this, the risk assessment is moderate, with appropriate risk management measures in place. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates, emphasizing the need for proper monitoring and maintenance to prevent potential hazards. The surrounding area of Lake Matthews Dam in Five Forks Community provides a scenic recreational space for visitors and residents alike to enjoy.
Overall, Lake Matthews Dam serves as a vital infrastructure for water resource management in the region, offering both recreational opportunities and essential flood control measures. With its historical significance and ongoing regulatory oversight, the dam represents a critical component of Georgia's water infrastructure system, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the surrounding community and environment.
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 Lake Matthews Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Big Haynes Creek At Lenora Road | 9 cfs | → |
| Brushy Fork Creek At Beaver Road | 3 cfs | → |
| Alcovy River Near Lawrenceville | 8 cfs | → |
| No Business Creek At Lee Road | 2 cfs | → |
| Yellow River At Ga 124 | 73 cfs | → |
| Alcovy River At New Hope Road | 18 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Matthews Dam.
Boat launches
- Chattahochee River Park Peachtree Corners
- Saint Ives Country Club Parkway Johns Creek
- Lake Windward Landing 139, Alpharetta
- Van Pugh North Park
- Kings Point Drive Forsyth County
- Johnson Ferry Road Southeast Sandy Springs
Campgrounds
- Stone Mountain Campground
- Stone Mountain Park Campground
- James Shackleford County Park
- Fort Yargo State Park
- Shoal Creek - Lake Lanier
- Sawnee
Fishing spots
Track Lake Matthews Dam 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 Lake Matthews Dam
Where does the data for Lake Matthews Dam 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 High 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 Lake Matthews Dam.