Whispering Winds dam
Whispering Winds
Whispering Winds is a privately owned dam located in Pall Mall, Tennessee, along Big Dry Creek. This earth dam was completed in 1976 and stands at a hydraulic height of 67.8 feet, with a structural height of 74.4 feet and a length of 1600 feet. The dam has a storage capacity of 1492 acre-feet, with a surface area of 47 acres and a drainage area of 0.25 square miles.
Managed by the Tennessee Safe Dams Program, Whispering Winds is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by state agencies, ensuring its safety and compliance with regulations. The dam has a significant hazard potential but is currently in satisfactory condition, with its last inspection conducted in April 2019. While the dam lacks certain features like outlet gates and controlled spillways, its risk assessment is moderate, with risk management measures in place.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Whispering Winds presents an interesting case study of a privately owned dam in Tennessee. Its location, design, storage capacity, and regulatory oversight provide valuable insights into the management of dams in the region. With a focus on safety and compliance, this dam serves as a crucial component of the local water infrastructure, highlighting the importance of responsible stewardship in ensuring the resilience of water resources in the face of changing climate conditions.
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 Whispering Winds -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| East Fork Obey River Near Jamestown | 11 cfs | → |
| Wolf River Near Byrdstown | 15 cfs | → |
| West Fork Obey River Near Alpine | 10 cfs | → |
| South Fk Cumberland River At Leatherwood Ford | 114 cfs | → |
| Clear Fork Near Robbins | 21 cfs | → |
| Beaver Creek Near Monticello | 4 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Whispering Winds.
Campgrounds
- Timber Ridge Horse Campground
- East Fork Stables
- Spruce Creek Stables & Campground
- Pickett State Rustic Park
- Saddle Valley Campground
- Obey River - Dale Hollow Lake
Paddle runs
- U.S. 127 Bridge To Morgan County Line
- Tn/Ky State Line To White Oak Junction
- I-40 Bridge To Western Boundary Of Catoosa Wildlife Management Area, At Adams Bridge
- Kentucky Road 478 To Kentucky Road 679
- Center Bridge To Cumberland-Morgan County Line
- Kentucky Road 679 To Confluence Of Cumberland River
Track Whispering Winds 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 Whispering Winds
Where does the data for Whispering Winds 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 Whispering Winds.