Kelly Barnes Dam
Encyclopedia
Kelly Barnes Dam was an earthen embankment dam
once located in Stephens County, Georgia
, just outside of the city of Toccoa. It collapsed on November 6, 1977 after a period of heavy rainfall, and the resulting flood killed 39 people and caused $2.8 million in damages. The dam was never rebuilt, and the Toccoa Falls
downstream of the dam site is now a memorial
and tourist attraction on the campus
of Toccoa Falls College
.
was completed by Mr. E. P. Simpson in order to create a reservoir for a small hydroelectric power plant which began operating that same year. The plant, now a historical site on the Toccoa Falls College campus and called The Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant produced 200 KW (0.2 MW) for the town of Toccoa, Georgia
. After receiving the power plant in 1933, the Toccoa Falls Institute
wanted to develop a more stable electric power
source and built an earthen embankment dam
over the original rock crib dam between 1939 and 1940. After the Second World War, the dam was again raised. Barnes Lake, a 40 acres (16.2 ha) reservoir was created by the dam. The modifications provided power for Toccoa Falls Institute until 1957, when the power production was stopped, and the lake
was only used for recreational purposes.
s. The main spillway was 380 feet (115.8 m) long, 60–11 ft (18.3–3.4 ) wide and located on the left side of the structure. A low point on the right side and away from the dam could also be used as a secondary spillway in case the reservoir
levels became too high.
The embankment dam
was located about 2000 feet (609.6 m) upstream from the Toccoa Falls and mostly consisted of residual soil
s and silt
. The dam sat on a foundation of silt and stable biotite gneiss
(rock).
Within the dam embankment was two masonry
structures that helped support a pipe that was used as a low-level spillway and in the other, a penstock
(pipe) for the hydroelectricity power plant. Both were not being used at the time of the flood.
The flood caused 39 fatalities along with destroying nine houses, 18 house trailers, two college buildings and many motor vehicles. Five houses and five college buildings were also damaged. Two bridges on Toccoa Falls Drive and a culvert at County Farm Road were completely destroyed. The embankments at Georgia Highway 17 were destroyed on either side of the bridge, and one of the bridge
abutment
s at Highview Road was destroyed. The water-supply pipe for the city of Toccoa was damaged and the city's water supply was contaminated for several days.
After the flood, Georgia's Governor George Busbee
called for an immediate investigation, which was carried out by a Federal Investigative Board of the United States Geological Survey
. Their report was released December 21, 1977, with no specific cause(s) cited for the failure. The investigators had no engineering plans for the dam and records of construction on the dam were based on witnesses, pictures and newspaper articles.
The investigation did, however, cite several possible or probable causes. The failure of the dam's slope may have contributed to weakness in the structure, particularly in the heavy rain. A collapse of the low-level spillway could have also exacerbated this problem. A 1973 photo showed a 12 feet (3.7 m), 30 feet (9.1 m) slide had occurred on the downstream face of the dam, which may have also contributed or foreshadowed the dam failure. Overall, the dam itself was in poor condition and lacked a sufficient design.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
once located in Stephens County, Georgia
Stephens County, Georgia
Stephens County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 26,175. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 25,268. The county seat is Toccoa.-History:...
, just outside of the city of Toccoa. It collapsed on November 6, 1977 after a period of heavy rainfall, and the resulting flood killed 39 people and caused $2.8 million in damages. The dam was never rebuilt, and the Toccoa Falls
Toccoa Falls
With a vertical drop of , the Toccoa Falls waterfall is located on the campus of Toccoa Falls College in Stephens County, Georgia. Toccoa is the Cherokee Indian name for "beautiful"....
downstream of the dam site is now a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
and tourist attraction on the campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College is a fully accredited, Christian liberal arts, bible college, located in Toccoa, Georgia, on the edge of the Piedmont region and in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The campus occupies , bordering the Chattahoochee National Forest and is home to Toccoa Falls a high...
.
History
In 1899, the original rock crib damDam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
was completed by Mr. E. P. Simpson in order to create a reservoir for a small hydroelectric power plant which began operating that same year. The plant, now a historical site on the Toccoa Falls College campus and called The Old Toccoa Falls Power Plant produced 200 KW (0.2 MW) for the town of Toccoa, Georgia
Toccoa, Georgia
Toccoa is a city in Stephens County, Georgia, United States located approximately from Athens and approximately northeast of Atlanta. The population was 9,323 at the 2000 census...
. After receiving the power plant in 1933, the Toccoa Falls Institute
Toccoa Falls College
Toccoa Falls College is a fully accredited, Christian liberal arts, bible college, located in Toccoa, Georgia, on the edge of the Piedmont region and in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The campus occupies , bordering the Chattahoochee National Forest and is home to Toccoa Falls a high...
wanted to develop a more stable electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
source and built an earthen embankment dam
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
over the original rock crib dam between 1939 and 1940. After the Second World War, the dam was again raised. Barnes Lake, a 40 acres (16.2 ha) reservoir was created by the dam. The modifications provided power for Toccoa Falls Institute until 1957, when the power production was stopped, and the lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
was only used for recreational purposes.
Dam characteristics
The dam was modified several times, and before the flood, the final dam was 38 feet (11.6 m) high, 400 feet (121.9 m) long and 20 feet (6.1 m) wide at its crest. The dam had two uncontrolled earthen spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
s. The main spillway was 380 feet (115.8 m) long, 60–11 ft (18.3–3.4 ) wide and located on the left side of the structure. A low point on the right side and away from the dam could also be used as a secondary spillway in case the reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
levels became too high.
The embankment dam
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
was located about 2000 feet (609.6 m) upstream from the Toccoa Falls and mostly consisted of residual soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s and silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
. The dam sat on a foundation of silt and stable biotite gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
(rock).
Within the dam embankment was two masonry
Masonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
structures that helped support a pipe that was used as a low-level spillway and in the other, a penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
(pipe) for the hydroelectricity power plant. Both were not being used at the time of the flood.
Dam failure
On November 6, 1977, at 1:30 am, the Kelly Barnes Dam failed after a period of heavy rain; seven inches had fallen from 2–5 November. In particular, 3½ inches fell between 6 pm and midnight, November 5. A total of 200 feet (61 m) of the dam had failed, causing a peak of 24000 ft3/s maximum discharge to burst downstream. Barnes Lake at the time held an estimated 27442800 ft3 of water compared to a normal volume of 17859600 ft3.The flood caused 39 fatalities along with destroying nine houses, 18 house trailers, two college buildings and many motor vehicles. Five houses and five college buildings were also damaged. Two bridges on Toccoa Falls Drive and a culvert at County Farm Road were completely destroyed. The embankments at Georgia Highway 17 were destroyed on either side of the bridge, and one of the bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
s at Highview Road was destroyed. The water-supply pipe for the city of Toccoa was damaged and the city's water supply was contaminated for several days.
After the flood, Georgia's Governor George Busbee
George Busbee
George Dekle Busbee was an American politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1975 to 1983....
called for an immediate investigation, which was carried out by a Federal Investigative Board of the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
. Their report was released December 21, 1977, with no specific cause(s) cited for the failure. The investigators had no engineering plans for the dam and records of construction on the dam were based on witnesses, pictures and newspaper articles.
The investigation did, however, cite several possible or probable causes. The failure of the dam's slope may have contributed to weakness in the structure, particularly in the heavy rain. A collapse of the low-level spillway could have also exacerbated this problem. A 1973 photo showed a 12 feet (3.7 m), 30 feet (9.1 m) slide had occurred on the downstream face of the dam, which may have also contributed or foreshadowed the dam failure. Overall, the dam itself was in poor condition and lacked a sufficient design.
See also
- South Fork DamSouth Fork DamThe South Fork Dam was located on Lake Conemaugh, an artificial body of water located near South Fork, Pennsylvania, United States. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed catastrophically and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles downstream, causing the...
- St. Francis DamSt. Francis DamThe St. Francis Dam was a concrete gravity-arch dam, designed to create a reservoir as a storage point of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. It was located 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California, near the present city of Santa Clarita....
- Teton DamTeton DamThe Teton Dam was a federally built earthen dam on the Teton River in southeastern Idaho, set between Fremont and Madison counties, USA, which when filling for the first time suffered a catastrophic failure on June 5, 1976. The collapse of the dam resulted in the deaths of 11 peopleand 13,000 head...
- Buffalo Creek FloodBuffalo Creek FloodThe Buffalo Creek Flood was a disaster that occurred on February 26, 1972, when the Pittston Coal Company's coal slurry impoundment dam #3, located on a hillside in Logan County, West Virginia, USA, burst four days after having been declared 'satisfactory' by a federal mine inspector.The resulting...
External links
- Toccoa Falls College Dam Break Memorial Page
- USGS Report USGS Report on the Kelly Barnes Dam Failure.