Gaston dam
Gaston
Gaston, located in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, is a concrete hydroelectric dam designed by Stone & Webster and completed in 1963. With a height of 99 feet and a hydraulic height of 89 feet, Gaston serves multiple purposes including fish and wildlife pond, recreation, and water supply. The dam has a storage capacity of 513,000 acre-feet and a surface area of 20,300 acres, drawing water from the Roanoke River.
Managed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Gaston boasts a spillway width of 548 feet and 11 radial Tainter gates for water release control. The dam has a high hazard potential and a very high risk assessment rating, emphasizing the importance of its operation and maintenance. Despite its critical role in water resource management and electricity generation, Gaston's condition assessment is currently listed as not available, highlighting the need for ongoing inspection and maintenance efforts to ensure its safety and functionality for the surrounding community and ecosystems.
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 Gaston -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Roanoke River At Roanoke Rapids | 2,360 cfs | → |
| Meherrin River Near Lawrenceville | 58 cfs | → |
| Meherrin River At Emporia | 100 cfs | → |
| Little Fishing Creek Near White Oak | 8 cfs | → |
| Fishing Creek Near Enfield | 27 cfs | → |
| Swift Creek At Hilliardston | 858 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Gaston .
Boat launches
- Summit Landing At Lake Gaston
- Van Warren Road Halifax County
- Wildlife Landing Northampton County
- River Road Warren County
- Salmon Landing Road, Littleton
- West 5th Street 1724-1728, Roanoke Rapids
Track Gaston 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 Gaston
Where does the data for Gaston 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 Gaston .