Briar Lake Dam dam
Briar Lake Dam
Briar Lake Dam, located in Horse Shoe, North Carolina, stands as a vital structure in managing water resources and climate impacts in the region. The dam, primarily owned by a private entity, serves the purpose of recreation while also being regulated by the state authorities, including the NCDEQ Dam Safety Program. With a hydraulic height of 11 feet and a structural height of 16 feet, this earth dam overlooks the Shaw Creek-Tr river and provides a storage capacity of 12 acre-feet.
Despite its satisfactory condition assessment in 2017, Briar Lake Dam poses a high hazard potential, necessitating regular inspections every two years to ensure its structural integrity and public safety. The dam's critical role in water management and flood control is underscored by its maximum discharge capacity of 375 cubic feet per second and its ability to store up to 12 acre-feet of water. As it continues to be a focal point for recreational activities, the dam's significance in the local ecosystem and community resilience cannot be understated.
As climate change intensifies and water resources become increasingly strained, the Briar Lake Dam stands as a crucial infrastructure for both recreational enjoyment and environmental protection. With its history dating back to an unspecified completion year, the dam serves as a testament to human ingenuity in harnessing natural resources while also highlighting the ongoing need for vigilant monitoring and maintenance to mitigate potential risks and ensure sustainable water management practices for future generations.
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 Briar Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| French Broad River At Blantyre | 260 cfs | → |
| Mills River Near Mills River | 49 cfs | → |
| French Broad River Near Fletcher | 447 cfs | → |
| Davidson River Near Brevard | 32 cfs | → |
| Middle Saluda River Near Cleveland | 18 cfs | → |
| Swannanoa River At Biltmore | 23 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Briar Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Hooper Lane Mills River
- Pisgah Forest Access Brevard
- Memorial Highway 2693, Lake Lure
- J. Verne Smith Park (Lake Robinson)
- Canada Road 14091, Tuckasegee
Campgrounds
- North Mills River Campground
- North Mills River
- Davidson River Recreation Area
- Davidson River Campground
- Firefighter Island Campsite
- Davidson River
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Mills River From Confluence Of North/South Forks To Confluence With Foster Creek
- Nf Boundary To Confluence With North Fork
- North Fork From Bottom Of Spillway Of Hendersonville Reservoir To Confluence With South Fork
- South Fork From Confluence With Pigeon Br To Nf Boundary
- East Fork From Us Highway 276 To Confluence Of Dark Prong And Yellowstone Prong
- Dark Prong From Headwaters To Confluence East Fork And Yellowstone Prong
Track Briar 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 Briar Lake Dam
Where does the data for Briar 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 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 Briar Lake Dam.