Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a buttress dam located in Putnam County, West Virginia, built in 1938. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a dam in Putnam, West Virginia. The dam is owned by Forest Lake Club, Inc. (private). It impounds the Hurricane Creek near Hurricane.
The dam stands 24 feet tall and stretches 218 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 59 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 690 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 13 square miles. Completed in 1938, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 03/13/2025.
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 | Putnam |
| Nearest City | Hurricane |
| River/Stream | Hurricane Creek |
| Coordinates | 38.40778, -82.01194 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Buttress |
| NID Height | 24 ft |
| Dam Height | 24 ft |
| Dam Length | 218 ft |
| Year Completed | 1938 (88 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 690 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 690 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 472 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 59 acres |
| Drainage Area | 13 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | FOREST LAKE CLUB, INC. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 03/13/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV07906 |
| Federal ID | WV07906 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |