Schellhas Dam
Schellhas Dam is an earth dam located in Ritchie County, West Virginia. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Schellhas Dam
Schellhas Dam is a dam in Ritchie, West Virginia. The dam is owned by Earl Schellhas (private). It impounds the Spring Run near Pennsboro.
The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 310 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 243 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 10/14/2015. That was 10 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Ritchie |
| Nearest City | Pennsboro |
| River/Stream | Spring Run |
| Coordinates | 39.26500, -80.97194 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Length | 310 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 243 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 243 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 68 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | EARL SCHELLHAS |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 10/14/2015 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV08513 |
| Federal ID | WV08513 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |