Natural Bridge Dam # 5

About Natural Bridge Dam # 5

The primary purpose of Natural Bridge Dam # 5 is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Department Of Conservation And Recreation State Parks, Natural Bridge;vclf Land Trust (private). It impounds the Cedar Creek - Vahu6 Ju59 Cedar Creek - Spring Gap Creek near Natural Bridge.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 210 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 0 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 66 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 15 square miles.

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 11/16/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% 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 Virginia dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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