Shealy Lake Dam Lower dam
Shealy Lake Dam Lower
Shealy Lake Dam Lower, located in Hendersonville, North Carolina, is a privately owned dam regulated by the NC Department of Environmental Quality's Dam Safety Program. The dam serves primarily for recreation purposes along UT to Finley Creek, offering a surface area of 1.5 acres and a maximum storage capacity of 18 acre-feet. With a hydraulic height of 26.5 feet and a structural height of 29 feet, the dam poses a significant hazard potential but was assessed to be in satisfactory condition as of the last inspection in May 2014.
Operated by private owners, Shealy Lake Dam Lower has a history of state regulation, permitting, inspection, and enforcement to ensure its safety and compliance with regulatory guidelines. Despite its earth dam structure and limited associated structures, the dam has not undergone significant modifications since its completion. The dam's emergency action plan status, risk assessment, and management measures remain unspecified, indicating a potential area for improvement in ensuring public safety and environmental protection in the event of a dam failure. As a key feature in Hendersonville's water resource and climate landscape, continued monitoring and proactive maintenance of Shealy Lake Dam Lower are crucial for mitigating risks and enhancing its long-term sustainability.
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 Shealy Lake Dam Lower -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| French Broad River At Blantyre | 267 cfs | → |
| Mills River Near Mills River | 50 cfs | → |
| French Broad River Near Fletcher | 461 cfs | → |
| Davidson River Near Brevard | 34 cfs | → |
| Middle Saluda River Near Cleveland | 14 cfs | → |
| South Saluda River Near Cleveland | 29 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Shealy Lake Dam Lower.
Boat launches
- Hooper Lane Mills River
- Pisgah Forest Access Brevard
- Memorial Highway 2693, Lake Lure
- J. Verne Smith Park (Lake Robinson)
- Anchor Park
Campgrounds
- North Mills River Campground
- North Mills River
- Davidson River Recreation Area
- Davidson River Campground
- Davidson River
- Camp Burgess Glen Lake
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 Shealy Lake Dam Lower 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 Shealy Lake Dam Lower
Where does the data for Shealy Lake Dam Lower 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 Shealy Lake Dam Lower.