Un. Lake On Trib. Of Sleepy Cr

About Un. Lake On Trib. Of Sleepy Cr

The primary purpose of Un. Lake On Trib. Of Sleepy Cr is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Konrad Walther (private). It impounds the Sleepy Creek near Smith Crossroads.

The dam stands 29 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 24 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1960, 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.

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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