BUFORD DAM
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, GEORGIA
PERTINENT DATA
 
STREAM FLOW

Drainage area at dam site-square miles                         1,040
Estimated minimum discharge (25Aug 1925)-cfs                     119
Minimum mean monthly flow (Sep 1925)-cfs                         263
Average annual flow(1903-1959)-cfs                                              202
Discharge at bankfull stage-cfs                               10,000
Maximum mean monthly flow (Dec 1932)-cfs                       8,590
Maximum recorded discharge (8 Jan 1946)-cfs                   55,000
 

SPILLWAY-DESIGN FLOOD

National Weather Service 72-hour storm at Long.   85*47' Lat. 35*34'
Total rainfall-inches                                          30.67
Initial loss-inches                                             0.00
Average infiltration rate-inches per hour                       0.04
Total storm runoff-inches                                      28.52
Total volume of storm runoff-acre feet                     1,581,600
Peak rates of flow
 Inflow to full reservoir-cfs                                581,300
 Total reservoir outflow-cfs                                  40,400
 Spillway discharge-cfs                                       28,400
Duration of flood-days                                             5

RESERVOIR

Pool Elevations-feet msl
 Maximum pool, spillway design flood                            1,100
 Top of flood control pool                                      1,085
 Top of conservation pool                                       1,071
 Minimum conservation pool                                      1,035
 Streambed (Bottom of Flood Control Sluice)                       919
Storage volumes-acre feet
 Maximum pool, spillway design flood                        3,332,000
 Total storage-elev. 1,085                                  2,554,000
Flood control storage, elev 1,085 to 1,070(11.48")            637,000
Conservation storage, elev 1,070 to 1,035(18.91")           1,049,400
 Dead storage, below elev 1,035                               867,600
Reservoir areas-acres
 Maximum pool, spillway design flood                           62,900
 Top of flood control pool, elev 1,085                         47,182
 Top of conservation pool, elev 1,070                          38,024
 Top of dead storage, elev 1,035                               22,442
Area within taking line-acres
 Purchased in fee simple                                       56,155
 Right to inundate acquired by easement                           719
 River bed                                                      1,133
 Total                                                         58,007

Length of shore line-miles
Top of flood control pool, elev                             1,085 760
Top of conservation pool, elev                              1,070 540
Length of reservoir at elevation 1,070-river miles
 Chattahoochee River                                               44
 Chestatee River                                                   19

DAM

Type Rolled-fill earth
Length along crest of main dam-feet                             1,630
Top Width-feet                                                     40
Base width-feet                                                 1,000
Height of main dam above river bed-feet                           192
Total length of saddle dikes-feet                               6,600
Elevation, top of dam and saddle dikes-feet msl                 1,106
 

SPILLWAY
 

Type Uncontrolled chute
Width of chute-feet                                               100
Crest elevation-feet msl                                        1,085
 

FLOOD CONTROL SLUICE
 

Number of sluices                                                   1
Diameter-feet                                                   13.25
Discharge capacity at elev. 1,085-cfs                          11,590
Discharge capacity at elev. 1,070-cfs                          11,030
Discharge capacity at elev. 1,035-cfs                          10,080
Discharge capacity at elev. 919(Invert)-cfs                         0

POWERHOUSE

Size of building
 Length-feet                                                      205
 Width-feet                                                      94.5
Type-Indoor, reinforced concrete and structural steel const.
Elevation-feet msl
 Bottom of substructure                                           885
 Low point of draft tube                                          888
 Centerline of distributer, 40,000 kw units                       927
 Centerline of distributer, 6,000 kw units                      922.5

Generating units-kw                                    6,000   40,000
 Number of units                                           1        2
 Speed of 16,000 and 2 40,000 kw units, rpm              277      100
 Spacing between 2 40,000 kw units centers, feet                   62
 Turbines
   Type-Francis
   Rotation                                     counterclock    clock
   Guaranteed capacity-best gate,
      136-foot net head-hp                             8,400   55,000
Generators
   Rated capacity, continuous, 60* C rise-kva          6,667   44,444
   Guaranteed capacity continuous, 80' C rise-kva      7,667   51,111
   Power factor                                         0.90     0.90
   Voltage                                            13,800   13,800
   Date of Initial Service                           7/26/57 10/10/57
                                                              6/19/57

POWER DATA

Drawdown for storage-feet                                          35
Volume in power storage (elev. 1,035-1,670)-acre feet       1,049,400
Rated net head, feet                                              136
Tailwater elevations, feet msl
 Maximum, all units at full gate-outflow 12,000cfs                927
 Flood Control Sluice-outflow 10,650cfs                           926
 Normal, 3 units operating-outflow 8,200cfs                       924
 Normal, 2 large units operating-outflow 8,000cfs                 923
 Normal, 1 large unit operating-outflow 3,800cfs                  920
 Minimum-no flow                                                  914
Plant output
 Dependable capacity-kw                                        73,000