Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam
Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam
Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam in Armuchee, Georgia, is a state-owned structure built in 1950 with a primary purpose that remains unspecified. The dam, made of earth with a buttress core, stands at a height of 10.8 feet and has a hydraulic height of 13 feet. It spans 633 feet in length and has a storage capacity of 96 acre-feet, with a normal storage level of 72 acre-feet.
Situated on Love Joy Creek in Floyd County, the dam is regulated by the state of Georgia with a low hazard potential and a moderate risk assessment rating. Although it has not been inspected since 1984 and is not currently monitored or enforced by the state, its condition remains unrated. The dam features an uncontrolled spillway and outlet gates, highlighting its historical engineering design.
Water resource and climate enthusiasts would appreciate the historical significance and modest scale of Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam, as well as its potential risk factors and lack of recent oversight. Its location within the Nashville District and its association with representative Tom Graves add an intriguing political dimension to this lesser-known Georgia landmark.
Inside the reservoir
The real shoreline of this water body, with a depth model scaled so the basin holds exactly its recorded storage. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, and use the slider to drain and refill it. Click anywhere on the basin for the modelled depth there.
NID normal pool storage (72 AF) over this shoreline implies a 12 ft basin, deeper than the 11 ft dam. Depth capped to the dam; storage shown is modelled, not NID.
How this is built. The shoreline is the National Hydrography
Dataset polygon for this water body (“Arrowhead Lake”),
matched to the dam by proximity and confirmed by comparing its area with the
National Inventory of Dams surface area (agreement 0.998×).
Depth is modelled, not surveyed: the basin is shaped by distance from
shore — deep in open water, shallow in the bays — and scaled so its
volume equals the recorded storage. No national bathymetric survey exists for
US reservoirs. Treat the shoreline, area and volume as measured, and the depth
distribution as an informed approximation.
Above normal pool, water is shown rising within the normal-pool
shoreline. Where it would actually spread depends on the surrounding
terrain, which is not modelled here — a reservoir in a steep canyon barely
widens, one on flat ground can spread a long way. This is a depth and volume
figure, not an inundation map. Official inundation mapping for a dam
comes from its Emergency Action Plan.
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 Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Heath Creek Near Armuchee | 3 cfs | → |
| Oostanaula River Near Rome | 553 cfs | → |
| Chattooga River At Summerville | 56 cfs | → |
| Etowah River At Ga 1 Loop | 506 cfs | → |
| Oostanaula River At Resaca | 336 cfs | → |
| Coosa River Near Rome | 1,000 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam.
Boat launches
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Campgrounds
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Fishing spots
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River runs
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About Upper Arrowhead Lake Dam
Where does the data for Upper Arrowhead 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 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 below 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.
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.
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