South Sand Branch

About South Sand Branch

The primary purpose of South Sand Branch is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Chris Cline (private).

The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 715 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 22 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 418 acre-feet.

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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/30/2024.

At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 88% 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.

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