Sherwood Lake
Sherwood Lake is an earth dam located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, built in 1957. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About Sherwood Lake
The primary purpose of Sherwood Lake is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the Meadow Creek near Neola.
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 1,160 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 165 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,142 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 6 square miles. Completed in 1957, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/19/2019.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% 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 West 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.
Location
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Greenbrier |
| Nearest City | Neola |
| River/Stream | Meadow Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.00111, -80.01034 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,160 ft |
| Year Completed | 1957 (69 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,142 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,142 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,780 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 165 acres |
| Drainage Area | 6 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 5,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | USDA FS |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Last Inspection | 11/19/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV02506 |
| Federal ID | WV02506 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |