Campbells Creek Slurry Impoundment

About Campbells Creek Slurry Impoundment

The primary purpose of Campbells Creek Slurry Impoundment 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 Catenary Coal Company (private). It impounds the Pointlick Branch near Port Amherst.

The dam stands 355 feet tall and stretches 1,275 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 27 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,217 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1999, the structure is 27 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.

At 355 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

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.

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