Sorrell Dam dam
Sorrell Dam
Sorrell Dam, located in Gaston, North Carolina, was completed in 1975 and serves primarily for recreational purposes. The dam, standing at 25 feet tall with a hydraulic height of 21 feet, impounds the South Crowders Creek Tributary and has a storage capacity of 35 acre-feet. With a surface area of 3.5 acres and a drainage area of 460 acres, the dam presents a significant hazard potential and is classified as "Not Rated" in terms of its condition assessment as of December 2018.
Despite being a private-owned dam with no state regulation or permitting, Sorrell Dam undergoes regular inspections to ensure its structural integrity. The dam has not been modified in recent years and does not have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place. While the dam has not been rated for its risk assessment or management measures, it remains a crucial feature in the area's water resource system. The dam's role in providing recreational opportunities, along with its potential risks, makes it a point of interest for water resource and climate enthusiasts in the region.
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 Sorrell Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Long Creek Near Bessemer City | 4 cfs | → |
| South Fork Catawba River At Lowell | 187 cfs | → |
| Indian Creek Near Laboratory | 10 cfs | → |
| Broad River Below Cherokee Falls | 576 cfs | → |
| Broad River Near Blacksburg | 321 cfs | → |
| Broad River Near Gaffney | 1,890 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Sorrell Dam.
Boat launches
- Lakeshore Drive Cleveland County
- John H. Moss Lake Recreation Park
- Wilkinson Boulevard Belmont
- Copperhead Island Mecklenburg County
- Soldier Road 15299, Mecklenburg County
- First Broad River Trail Shelby
Campgrounds
- Hounds Gateway Campground
- Kings Mountain State Park
- Garner Creek
- Garner Creek Backcountry Campsite
- John H. Moss Lake City Campground
- Shelby Mission Camp
Fishing spots
- Mountain Island Park Fishing Access
- Benfield Creek
- Pittman Lake
- Johns Creek Lake
- Buck Branch
- Sedalia Lake
Track Sorrell 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 Sorrell Dam
Where does the data for Sorrell 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 Sorrell Dam.