Blacks Dam dam
Blacks Dam
Blacks Dam, located in Jasper, Mississippi, serves as a crucial water resource for the area, with a primary purpose of recreation. Built in 1973, this earth dam stands at 20 feet high and stretches 410 feet in length, providing a storage capacity of 80 acre-feet. Despite its recreational value, the dam is categorized as having a significant hazard potential and a poor condition assessment, making it a subject of concern for water resource and climate enthusiasts.
Managed by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Blacks Dam is inspected every five years to ensure its structural integrity and safety. The dam's spillway, with a width of 3 feet, is uncontrolled, posing potential risks in case of heavy rainfall or flooding events. While the risk assessment for the dam is moderate, the condition assessment highlights the need for maintenance and potential improvements to mitigate hazards and enhance long-term sustainability.
Given its location on the UNT of Little Bogue Homo river, Blacks Dam plays a vital role in managing water resources and providing recreational opportunities for the community. With ongoing inspections and risk management measures, there is a concerted effort to address the dam's poor condition and ensure its continued functionality in the face of changing climate conditions. As water resource and climate enthusiasts, staying informed and advocating for the proper maintenance and management of dams like Blacks Dam is crucial to safeguarding our natural resources and infrastructure.
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 Blacks Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tallahala Creek At Waldrup | 117 cfs | → |
| Tallahala Creek At Laurel | 17 cfs | → |
| Chickasawhay River Nr Waynesboro | 1,010 cfs | → |
| Chickasawhay River At Enterprise | 513 cfs | → |
| Okatibbee Creek At Arundel | 431 cfs | → |
| Leaf River Nr Collins | 488 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Blacks Dam.
Boat launches
- Shabuta Hanging Bridge Clarke County
- Johnny Paul Davis Road 1, Wayne County
- Wayne County
- James Duncan Arrington Memorial Highway Jones County
Track Blacks 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 Blacks Dam
Where does the data for Blacks 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 Significant 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 Blacks Dam.