Booker's Lake Dam dam
Booker's Lake Dam
Booker's Lake Dam, located in Oconee, South Carolina, is a privately owned earth dam designed by the USDA NRCS and completed in 1948 for recreational purposes. The dam stands at a height of 24 feet and spans 475 feet, holding a maximum storage capacity of 67 acre-feet. Despite its intended recreational use, the dam poses a high hazard potential with a poor condition assessment, as last inspected in June 2019.
With a spillway type classified as uncontrolled and unlisted foundations, Booker's Lake Dam is regulated by the South Carolina DHEC and undergoes regular inspections, with a risk assessment rating of moderate. The dam's geographic coordinates are 34.8249° N, -83.066° W, situated on TR-BEATY CREEK within the Nashville District. As a critical infrastructure in the region, stakeholders and water resource enthusiasts closely monitor the dam's condition and management measures to ensure public safety and environmental sustainability in the face of changing climate patterns.
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 Booker's Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Chattooga River Near Clayton | 203 cfs | → |
| Twelvemile Creek Near Liberty | 38 cfs | → |
| Tallulah River Ab Powerhouse | 39 cfs | → |
| French Broad River At Rosman | 54 cfs | → |
| Tallulah River Near Clayton | 57 cfs | → |
| Little Tennessee River Near Prentiss | 140 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Booker's Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- High Falls Road Oconee County
- Fall Creek Landing
- Landing Road Oconee County
- White Oak Hill Road Oconee County
- Devils Fork Road Oconee County
- Cabin Road 398, Pickens County
Campgrounds
- Oconee State Park
- High Falls County Park
- Cherry Hill Recreation Area
- Long Bottom Ford
- Cassidy Bridge Hunt Camp
- Sandy Beach Campsite
Fishing spots
Paddle runs
- Headwaters Just East Of Hwy 107 To Crossing Of Norton Field Road (Fs 715a)
- Beginning Just Upstream Of Townes Creek,Wash Branch And Crane Creek To Confluence With Kings Creek
- South Of Cedar Creek Rifle Range To Confluence With Chauga River
- 1/4 Mile Below Fs 745 And Cassidy Bridge Hunt Camp To Confluence Of Cedar Creek
- Highway 28 To Earl's Ford (Section 2)
- Crpssing Of Land Bridge Road, Sc 196 To 1/4 Mile Below Fs 745 And Cassidy Bridge Hunt Camp
Track Booker's 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 Booker's Lake Dam
Where does the data for Booker's 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 Booker's Lake Dam.