Cherry Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Hancock County, West Virginia, built in 1972. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 21 ft21 ft tall and 165 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Cherry Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Cherry Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Paul Settle (private). It impounds the Deep Gut Run near New Cumberland.
The dam stands 21 feet tall and stretches 165 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 35 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1972, 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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/11/2004. That was 22 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
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 | Hancock |
| Nearest City | New Cumberland |
| River/Stream | Deep Gut Run |
| Coordinates | 40.52667, -80.59528 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Length | 165 ft |
| Year Completed | 1972 (54 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 35 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 35 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 4 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Paul Settle |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/11/2004 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV02903 |
| Federal ID | WV02903 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |