Kyger Creek Bottom Ash Pond

About Kyger Creek Bottom Ash Pond

The primary purpose of Kyger Creek Bottom Ash Pond is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Ohio Valley Electric Corporation (public utility). It impounds the Ohio River - Offstream near York, W. Va..

The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 5,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 34 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,435 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1955, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/04/2022.

At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 88% of dams nationwide.

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