Camp Judaea Dam dam
Camp Judaea Dam
Camp Judaea Dam, located in Balfour, North Carolina, along the Little Clear Creek-Tr, is a privately owned earth dam primarily used for recreational purposes. With a hydraulic height of 15.5 feet and a structural height of 18 feet, the dam stands at 350 feet in length and has a normal storage capacity of 10 acre-feet. Despite its high hazard potential, the dam's condition has been assessed as satisfactory as of the last inspection in April 2015, with regular inspections conducted every two years.
The dam falls under state jurisdiction and is regulated by the NCDEQ Dam Safety Program, ensuring compliance with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement requirements. Although the exact year of completion is not specified, the dam provides a surface area of 2.5 acres and a maximum storage capacity of 15 acre-feet. In the event of an emergency, the dam's emergency action plan status and risk assessment measures are currently unspecified, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and management to ensure the safety and integrity of the structure.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Camp Judaea Dam serves as a fascinating case study of a privately owned recreational dam in North Carolina. Its location, design specifications, and regulatory oversight provide valuable insights into the intersection of water management, infrastructure safety, and environmental stewardship. As climate change continues to impact water resources and infrastructure resilience, understanding the complexities and challenges of dam management is crucial for sustainable water management practices in the future.
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 Camp Judaea Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| French Broad River Near Fletcher | 447 cfs | → |
| Mills River Near Mills River | 49 cfs | → |
| French Broad River At Blantyre | 260 cfs | → |
| Cove Creek Near Lake Lure | 33 cfs | → |
| Swannanoa River At Biltmore | 23 cfs | → |
| Beetree Creek Near Swannanoa | 2 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Camp Judaea Dam.
Boat launches
- Hooper Lane Mills River
- Memorial Highway 2693, Lake Lure
- Pisgah Forest Access Brevard
- Anchor Park
- J. Verne Smith Park (Lake Robinson)
Campgrounds
- Creekside Mountain Camping
- Firefighter Island Campsite
- North Mills River Campground
- River Creek Camp Ground
- North Mills River
- Lake Powhatan
Fishing spots
- Asheville Recreation Park Lake
- Bailey Branch
- Anderson Branch
- Big Pine Creek
- Bear Creek Lake
- Dillard Place
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 Camp Judaea 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 Camp Judaea Dam
Where does the data for Camp Judaea 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 Camp Judaea Dam.