Left Abutment Slurry Impoundment is an earth dam located in Wayne County, West Virginia. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 130 ft130 ft tall and 1,600 ft long, taller than 98% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Left Abutment Slurry Impoundment
The primary purpose of Left Abutment Slurry Impoundment is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Lexington Coal Company, LLC (private).
The dam stands 130 feet tall and stretches 1,600 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 2,215 acre-feet.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam.
At 130 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.
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 | Wayne |
| Nearest City | East Lynn |
| Coordinates | 38.15167, -82.34722 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 130 ft |
| Dam Height | 130 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,600 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,215 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,215 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Lexington Coal Company, LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV09914 |
| Federal ID | WV09914 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |