Opekiska Lock And Dam

Opekiska Lock And Dam is a gravity dam located in Monongalia County, West Virginia, built in 1967. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Opekiska Lock And Dam

The primary purpose of Opekiska Lock And Dam is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by Usace - Pittsburgh District (federal). It impounds the Monongahela River near Morgantown.

The dam stands 52 feet tall and stretches 478 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 800 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 14,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2,530 square miles. Completed in 1967, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/17/2021.

At 52 feet, this dam is taller than 93% of dams nationwide.

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Low HazardNot Available ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Yes

Location

StateWest Virginia
CountyMonongalia
Nearest CityMorgantown
River/StreamMonongahela River
Coordinates39.56448, -80.05040

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeGravity
NID Height52 ft
Dam Length478 ft
Year Completed1967 (59 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage14,400 acre-ft
Max Storage14,400 acre-ft
Normal Storage14,400 acre-ft
Surface Area800 acres
Drainage Area2,530 sq mi
Max Discharge117,000 cfs
Spillway TypeControlled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeNavigation
OwnerUSACE - Pittsburgh District
Owner TypeFederal
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Available
Last Inspection08/17/2021
Emergency Action PlanYes

Identifiers

NID IDWV06108
Federal IDWV06108
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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