Smith River Dam

About Smith River Dam

The primary purpose of Smith River Dam is hydroelectric. The dam generates hydroelectric power by channeling water through turbines, converting the energy of flowing water into electricity. The dam is owned by City Of Martinsville Electric Dept (local government). It impounds the Smith River.

The dam stands 38 feet tall and stretches 538 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 55 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,600 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 378 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 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 08/29/2014. That was 11 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 38 feet, this dam is taller than 85% 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.

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