AbstractTwo earthfill sections of Wallace Dam on the Oconee River near Eatonton, Georgia were constructed with vertical drainage filters (chimney drains) in a clay fill zone. In order to evaluate the performance of the filter in the west dike of Wallace Dam, the finite element Galerkin method was utilized in formulating a numerical model to study the steady‐state saturated‐unsaturated seepage characteristics through the earth dam. The resulting model is applied to Station 58+00 of the west dike of Wallace Dam. Numerical results for the four cases analyzed in this study describe the location of the zero pressure isobar and total hydraulic head values ranging from 425 feet (130 m) to 365 feet (111 m). Model results indicate a maximum seepage velocity of 2.62 feet per day (0.80 m/day) using a saturated horizontal hydraulic conductivity of 0.283 foot per day (8.64 cm/day). A maximum seepage rate is calculated to be 0.266 cubic foot per second (7.52 × 10−3m3/sec). Analysis of the hydrostatic uplift forces along the base of the dam indicates an average pressure head reduction of 51 feet (16 m) from the upstream to the downstream side of the dam. Comparison of local seepage velocities to the critical seepage velocity upstream of the filter and inside the filter indicate a factor of safety against piping (a factor of safety against a quick condition arising in the soil) ranging from 0.3