C & O Dam dam
C & O Dam
C & O Dam, located in Blue Jay, West Virginia, is a privately-owned concrete dam completed in 1944 on Beaver Creek. With a height of 9 feet and a length of 108 feet, this dam serves a variety of purposes, including providing a storage capacity of 43 acre-feet and a surface area of 8.5 acres. Despite not being regulated by the state, the dam has a high hazard potential and has not been rated for its condition.
The dam's emergency action plan was last revised in 1992, indicating a need for updated safety measures and risk assessment. The dam's inspection frequency is currently at 0, with the last inspection conducted in March 2015. With a risk management plan yet to be established, it is crucial for authorities to prioritize the safety and maintenance of C & O Dam to prevent any potential hazards or emergencies.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, C & O Dam presents an intriguing case study of a privately-owned structure with significant storage capacity and a high hazard potential. As the dam's condition remains unknown and its emergency action plan outdated, there is a pressing need for thorough inspection, risk assessment, and updated safety measures to ensure the protection of both the dam itself and the surrounding community. The data provided highlights the importance of proactive maintenance and monitoring of critical infrastructure in the face of changing environmental conditions.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around C & O Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Piney Creek At Raleigh | 23 cfs | → |
| Bluestone River Near Pipestem | 182 cfs | → |
| New River At Thurmond | 8,940 cfs | → |
| Greenbrier River At Hilldale | 9,060 cfs | → |
| Greenbrier River At Alderson | 9,200 cfs | → |
| Clear Fork At Whitesville | 24 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near C & O Dam.
Boat launches
- Raleigh County
- Johnstown Road Raleigh County
- State Route 41 Fayette County
- Clayton-Judson Road Summers County
- Island Loop Trail Raleigh County
- New River Road Raleigh County
Campgrounds
- Primitive Camping
- Army Camp
- Summit Bechtel Reserve
- Bluestone State Park
- Berry's Campground
- Blue Jay - Camp Creek State Park
Paddle runs
- Bluestone Dam To Gauley Bridge
- Bluestone Dam To Sandstone
- Meadow Creek Junction To The Route U.S. 19 Bridge
- The U.S. Route 460 Bridge In Glen Lyn, Virginia To The Maximum Summer Pool Elevation Of Bluestone Lake, South Of Hinton, West Virginia
- The Route U.S. 19 Bridge To The Confluence With The Gauley River
- Upper Gauley - Summersville Dam To Mason Branch
Track C & O Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About C & O Dam
Where does the data for C & O Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of C & O Dam.