Sharra Lake Dam dam
Sharra Lake Dam
Sharra Lake Dam, located in Petal, Mississippi, is a private-owned structure regulated by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Built primarily for recreation purposes, the dam stands at a height of 13 feet, with a storage capacity of 57 acre-feet. The dam's spillway type is uncontrolled, with a width of 11 feet, and it has a significant hazard potential and poor condition assessment.
Despite its modest size, Sharra Lake Dam provides a serene recreational spot for locals and visitors to enjoy. The dam's surface area covers 7 acres, offering opportunities for fishing, boating, and other water activities. However, the dam's condition assessment in 2017 noted poor conditions, indicating a need for potential maintenance and improvements to ensure the safety and longevity of the structure.
In the realm of water resource and climate enthusiasts, Sharra Lake Dam serves as a valuable case study for understanding the management and risks associated with small-scale earth dams. With its moderate risk assessment and the significant hazard potential identified, the dam highlights the importance of regular inspections, maintenance, and emergency preparedness to mitigate potential dangers and safeguard 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 Sharra Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Tallahala Creek Nr Runnelstown | 93 cfs | → |
| Leaf River At Hattiesburg | 1,210 cfs | → |
| Bogue Homo Nr Richton | 556 cfs | → |
| Leaf River Nr New Augusta | 2,000 cfs | → |
| Bouie Creek Nr Hattiesburg | 340 cfs | → |
| Okatoma Creek At Sanford | 287 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Sharra Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Highway 11 Petal
- Peps Point Road Forrest County
- Saguaro Trail Forrest County
- Ms 15 Beaumont
- James Duncan Arrington Memorial Highway Jones County
Campgrounds
- Lake Walker Military - Camp Shelby
- Paul B Johnson State Park
- Moody's Landing - Usfs
- Moodys Landing
- Lake Perry
- Big Creek Waterpark
Paddle runs
- The Confluence With Scarsborough Creek To The Confluence With The Escatawpa River
- Begins Approximately 2 River Miles Downstream From The Yellowhouse Branch Confluence With The Escatawpa River Near The Town Of Deer Park, Alabama To Ends Approximately 1 River Mile Upstream From The U.S. Highway 98 Bridge
Track Sharra 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 Sharra Lake Dam
Where does the data for Sharra 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 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 Sharra Lake Dam.