Cooper Lake Dam dam
Cooper Lake Dam
Cooper Lake Dam, located in Gold Rock, North Carolina, was completed in 1963 and serves as a crucial recreational spot in the area. Owned privately and regulated by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality's Dam Safety Program, this earth dam stands at a structural height of 15 feet and a hydraulic height of 14 feet. With a storage capacity of 50 acre-feet, it primarily caters to recreational purposes and boasts a surface area of 5 acres.
Despite its low hazard potential, Cooper Lake Dam has not been rated for its overall condition since its last inspection in January 2001. While the dam is regularly inspected every five years, its emergency action plan status, risk assessment, and inundation maps remain unspecified. With the Wilmington District of the US Army Corps of Engineers overlooking its operations, Cooper Lake Dam continues to be a vital water resource for the Swift Creek-Tr river system, offering a serene and enjoyable recreational experience for locals and visitors alike.
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 Cooper Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Swift Creek At Hilliardston | 858 cfs | → |
| Little Fishing Creek Near White Oak | 8 cfs | → |
| Tar River At Nc 97 At Rocky Mount | 81 cfs | → |
| Fishing Creek Near Enfield | 29 cfs | → |
| Tar R At Us 401 At Louisburg | 19 cfs | → |
| Tar River At Tarboro | 131 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Cooper Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Highway 33 3000-3432, Tarboro
- Salmon Landing Road, Littleton
- Summit Landing At Lake Gaston
- Van Warren Road Halifax County
- Wildlife Landing Northampton County
- River Road Warren County
Track Cooper 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 Cooper Lake Dam
Where does the data for Cooper 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 Cooper Lake Dam.