Chief Creek dam
Chief Creek
Chief Creek is a privately owned dam located in Lewis, Tennessee, specifically in the city of Napier. Built in 1970, this earth dam stands at a structural height of 55 feet and has a hydraulic height of 39 feet, with a length of 690 feet. It has a significant hazard potential, but its condition was assessed as satisfactory during the last inspection in June 2020.
Managed by the Tennessee Safe Dams Program, Chief Creek's primary purpose and dam type are not specified, but it provides a storage capacity of 3,130 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 96 acres. With a drainage area of 14.6 square miles, this dam on Chief Creek plays a crucial role in water resource management in the region. Despite its moderate risk assessment, the dam is regularly inspected, regulated, and enforced by state authorities to ensure public safety and operational efficiency.
The dam does not feature any outlet gates or locks, and its spillway type is uncontrolled. Although it lacks certain emergency preparedness measures such as an Emergency Action Plan (EAP), Chief Creek remains a key infrastructure for water resource enthusiasts and climate advocates to monitor and study, given its role in flood control, water storage, and environmental impact mitigation in the surrounding area.
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 Chief Creek -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo River Near Flat Woods | 283 cfs | → |
| Duck River At Hwy 100 At Centerville | 597 cfs | → |
| Duck River At Columbia | 224 cfs | → |
| Shoal Creek At Iron City | 239 cfs | → |
| Piney River At Vernon | 81 cfs | → |
| Fountain Creek Near Fountain Heights | 3 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Chief Creek.
Boat launches
- Gladden Road Perry County
- River Trail Maury County
- Riverside Drive 302, Columbia
- Vales Mill Road 1300-1368, Pulaski
- Iron Bridge Road 918, Columbia
- Old Ferry Road 4232, Bath Springs
Campgrounds
- Meriwether Lewis
- Meriwether Lewis Campground
- Laurel Hill Lake - Twra
- David Crockett State Park
- Tennessee Highway 50 Bicycle-Only Campground, At Milepost 408
Fishing spots
- Indiancamp Creek
- Brotherick Branch
- Cypress Creek
- O'Neal Harbor
- Pickwick Lake
- Fayetteville Old Stone Bridge
Paddle runs
- The Henryville Bridge Crossing On County Road 6230 To Bethel Bridge On County Road 6174
- Bethel Bridge On County Road 6174 To Confluence With Duck River
More reservoirs
Track Chief Creek 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 Chief Creek
Where does the data for Chief Creek 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 Chief Creek.