Habersham Mills Lake Dam dam
Habersham Mills Lake Dam
Habersham Mills Lake Dam, located in Clarkesville, Georgia, is a privately owned structure designed by Habersham Mills and completed in 1947. Situated on the Soque River, this gravity dam stands at a height of 40 feet and stretches 525 feet in length, with a storage capacity of 1280 acre-feet. The dam primarily serves a hydroelectric purpose and is regulated by the Georgia Safe Dams Program.
With a high hazard potential and a moderate risk assessment rating, the Habersham Mills Lake Dam poses a significant risk to surrounding areas in the event of a failure. Despite this, the dam's condition was assessed as satisfactory during the last inspection in 2016. While the dam is uncontrolled in terms of spillway type and outlet gates, it is subject to regular state inspection and enforcement to ensure public safety. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, the Habersham Mills Lake Dam serves as a fascinating example of the intersection between infrastructure, environmental impact, and regulatory oversight in the management of water resources.
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 Habersham Mills Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Chattahoochee River Near Leaf | 143 cfs | → |
| Chattahoochee River Near Cornelia | 262 cfs | → |
| Chattahoochee River At Helen | 57 cfs | → |
| Tallulah River Ab Powerhouse | 39 cfs | → |
| Tallulah River Near Clayton | 62 cfs | → |
| Chattooga River Near Clayton | 203 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Habersham Mills Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Lake Rabun Road Rabun County
- Mountain Shadows Drive White County
- Hall County
- Stephens County
- Morrison Moore Parkway East Dahlonega
- Mullins Ford Landing Road 205, Westminster
Campgrounds
- Lake Russell
- Lake Russell Recreation Area
- Yonah Mountain Campground
- Toccoa Falls College Rv Park
- Seed Campground
- Pear Tree Hill Group Camp
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Confluence Of Brasstown Creek And Little Brasstown Creek Just South Of Brasstown Falls Road (Fs 751) To Confluence Of Mill Branch, Brasstown Creek And Boatwright Creek Near Boatwright Road (Fs 753)
- Martin Branch Bridge To Robertsontown Bridge On Ga Highway 356
- Old Turnpike Crossing To Martin Branch Bridge
- Mark Trail Wilderness Boundry To Old Turnpike Crossing Near Vandiver Branch
- Source Near Chattahoochee Gap To Mark Trail Wilderness Boundary
- Confluence Of Cedar Creek To 1/4 Mile Below The Nf Boundary And Fh 110, Cobbs Bridge Road
Track Habersham Mills Lake 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 Habersham Mills Lake Dam
Where does the data for Habersham Mills Lake 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 Habersham Mills Lake Dam.