Justus Dam is an earth dam located in McCreary County, Kentucky. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 71 ft71 ft tall and 385 ft long, taller than 96% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Justus Dam
Justus Dam is a dam in McCreary, Kentucky. The dam is owned by Southfork Coal Company (private).
The dam stands 71 feet tall and stretches 385 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 850 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.
At 71 feet, this dam is taller than 96% 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 Kentucky 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 | Kentucky |
| County | McCreary |
| Nearest City | Barthell |
| Coordinates | 36.67000, -84.47000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 71 ft |
| Dam Height | 71 ft |
| Dam Length | 385 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 850 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 850 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Other |
| Owner | Southfork Coal Company |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KY01012 |
| Federal ID | KY01012 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |