Sun Valley Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Summers County, West Virginia, built in 1952. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 11 ft11 ft tall and 688 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 Sun Valley Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Sun Valley Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by W. Robert Carr (private). It impounds the Pipestem Creek near Pipestem.
The dam stands 11 feet tall and stretches 688 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 12 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 88 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1952, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 05/24/2017.
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Location
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Summers |
| Nearest City | Pipestem |
| River/Stream | Pipestem Creek |
| Coordinates | 37.52806, -80.96833 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Height | 11 ft |
| Dam Length | 688 ft |
| Year Completed | 1952 (74 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 88 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 88 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 45 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 12 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | W. Robert Carr |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 05/24/2017 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV08904 |
| Federal ID | WV08904 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |