Georgia Dam Hazard Classification
Georgia classifies dams by what happens downstream if they fail, not by how big they are. The criteria are in Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-3-8 (Rules for Dam Safety).
Georgia regulates only Category I dams. A dam below the loss-of-life threshold is not lightly regulated in Georgia — it is outside the program.
The classes
| Class | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Category I | Improper operation or dam failure would result in probable loss of human life — including frequently occupied structures such as residences, commercial facilities, schools and churches. |
| Category II | Improper operation or dam failure would not be expected to result in probable loss of human life. |
Size classification
Size is a separate axis from hazard, and it drives design criteria rather than whether the dam is regulated.
| Size | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Small | ≤500 acre-feet and ≤25 feet |
| Medium | 500–1,000 acre-feet or 25–35 feet |
| Large | 1,000–50,000 acre-feet or 35–100 feet |
| Very Large | >50,000 acre-feet or >100 feet |
Why classification decides everything else
Classification is not an administrative label. It determines whether an emergency action plan is required, what design flood the spillway must pass, and how often the dam is inspected. Getting it wrong in either direction is expensive: too low and the owner is out of compliance, too high and they are designing to a storm the structure never needed.
Worked end to end for a real structure: the flood rise test that separates the middle tier from high hazard, and the breach analysis behind it.
Scope. General information about Georgia dam safety regulation, read from primary sources and current as of 2026-08-28. Not an engineering opinion about any specific structure and not legal advice. Requirements change when the legislature amends the Georgia Safe Dams Act of 1978 or the rules are revised — confirm against the current text of O.C.G.A. ยงยง 12-5-370 et seq. and Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-3-8 (Rules for Dam Safety), and contact the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for a determination that binds.