Cheney Lake Dam dam
Cheney Lake Dam
Cheney Lake Dam, located in Tattnall, Georgia, was completed in 1959 and serves as a private recreational site with a primary purpose of providing leisure activities for water enthusiasts. The dam is an earth structure with a buttress core type and stands at a height of 11 feet with a length of 300 feet. It has a storage capacity of 85 acre-feet, with a normal storage level of 38 acre-feet, covering a surface area of 9 acres and draining a 315-acre watershed area.
Although Cheney Lake Dam is categorized as having a low hazard potential, it is still considered a moderate risk due to its condition assessment being rated as "Not Rated." The dam features uncontrolled spillways and outlet gates, and while it is not regulated or inspected by the state, it is under the jurisdiction of the Savannah District of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Despite being privately owned, the dam's risk management measures, emergency action plans, and inundation maps are not readily available, indicating potential areas for improvement in the dam's safety and maintenance protocols.
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 Cheney Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Ohoopee River Near Reidsville | 47 cfs | → |
| Canoochee River Near Claxton | 2 cfs | → |
| Altamaha River Near Baxley | 4,410 cfs | → |
| Oconee River Near Mount Vernon | 1,070 cfs | → |
| Ocmulgee River At Lumber City | 2,670 cfs | → |
| Altamaha River At Doctortown | 5,370 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cheney Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Landing Road 438, Baxley
- Getaway Lane, Surrency
- Deen's Landing Road 688-700, Baxley
- Benton Powell Road 267-315, Uvalda
- Arnold River Road 599, Jesup
- ⛉ Riverwood Trail 45, Uvalda
Campgrounds
- Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park
- Falling Rocks County Park
- Towns Bluff County Park
- George L Smith State Park
Fishing spots
- Watson Pond
- Whittakers Pond
- Fish Feeder #1
- Fish Feeder #2
- Little Ocmulgee State Park Lake
- Magnolia Springs State Park Lake
Track Cheney 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 Cheney Lake Dam
Where does the data for Cheney 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 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 Cheney Lake Dam.