Castleman's Run Lake No. 1

About Castleman's Run Lake No. 1

The primary purpose of Castleman's Run Lake No. 1 is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Wvdnr, Wildlife Resources (state). It impounds the Castleman's Run near Bethany.

The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 460 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 24 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 600 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 8 square miles. Completed in 1961, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

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 01/31/2025.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% 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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