Lake Buffalo is an earth dam located in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, built in 1968. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 43 ft43 ft tall and 525 ft long, taller than 89% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. 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 Lake Buffalo
The primary purpose of Lake Buffalo is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Usda Fs (federal). It impounds the Buffalo Fork of Little River near Bartow.
The dam stands 43 feet tall and stretches 525 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 22 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 348 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles. Completed in 1968, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 09/11/2018.
At 43 feet, this dam is taller than 89% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Pocahontas |
| Nearest City | Bartow |
| River/Stream | Buffalo Fork of Little River |
| Coordinates | 38.53297, -79.70531 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 43 ft |
| Dam Height | 43 ft |
| Dam Length | 525 ft |
| Year Completed | 1968 (58 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 348 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 348 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 278 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 22 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,332 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Usda Fs |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 09/11/2018 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV07502 |
| Federal ID | WV07502 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |