South River Dam #19

South River Dam #19 is an earth dam located in Augusta County, Virginia. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.

About South River Dam #19

The primary purpose of South River Dam #19 is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Headwaters Soil And Water Conservation District (local government). It impounds the Tr-south River.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 815 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 11 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,034 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/08/2022.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Virginia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.

High HazardUnsatisfactory ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateVirginia
CountyAugusta
River/StreamTr-south River
Coordinates38.01330, -78.96950

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height35 ft
Dam Height35 ft
Dam Length815 ft

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage1,034 acre-ft
Max Storage1,034 acre-ft
Normal Storage29 acre-ft
Surface Area11 acres
Drainage Area3 sq mi

Ownership & Safety

PurposeFlood Risk Reduction
OwnerHeadwaters Soil and Water Conservation District
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentUnsatisfactory
Last Inspection04/08/2022
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDVA015014
Federal IDVA015014
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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