Briggs Lake dam
Briggs Lake
Briggs Lake, located in Henderson, North Carolina, is a private water resource primarily used for recreation. The dam at Briggs Lake is an Earth type with a structural height of 65 feet and a length of 150 feet. The lake covers an area of 2 acres and is fed by Boylston Creek-Tr. Despite its small size, Briggs Lake poses a high hazard potential, although its condition assessment is currently not rated.
The last inspection of Briggs Lake took place in March 1982, with a high hazard potential identified. The dam has not been rated for condition assessment, and there is no Emergency Action Plan (EAP) prepared. While the lake offers a recreational space for visitors in the Brickton area, the lack of recent inspections and assessments raises concerns about the safety and management of this water resource. For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Briggs Lake presents an intriguing case study of a small, privately-owned dam with potential risks and unknown management measures.
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 Briggs Lake -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Mills River Near Mills River | 49 cfs | → |
| French Broad River At Blantyre | 260 cfs | → |
| French Broad River Near Fletcher | 447 cfs | → |
| Davidson River Near Brevard | 32 cfs | → |
| Swannanoa River At Biltmore | 23 cfs | → |
| Middle Saluda River Near Cleveland | 18 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Briggs Lake.
Boat launches
- Hooper Lane Mills River
- Pisgah Forest Access Brevard
- Memorial Highway 2693, Lake Lure
- North Lakeshore Drive 103, Haywood County
- Canada Road 14091, Tuckasegee
Campgrounds
- North Mills River Campground
- North Mills River
- Wf-3
- Lake Powhatan
- Firefighter Island Campsite
- Lake Powhatan Campground
Fishing spots
- Asheville Recreation Park Lake
- Bear Creek Lake
- Bailey Branch
- Anderson Branch
- Big Pine Creek
- Allen Branch Pond
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 Briggs Lake 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 Briggs Lake
Where does the data for Briggs Lake 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 Briggs Lake.