Pleasant Valley Lake Dam dam
Pleasant Valley Lake Dam
Pleasant Valley Lake Dam, also known as Kelchners Dam, is a privately owned structure located in Frederick, Virginia. The dam serves primarily for recreation purposes and stands at 24 feet in height, with a length of 450 feet. It holds a storage capacity of 192 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 16 acres, drawing water from the TR-Furnace Branch river.
Managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in Virginia, the dam is regulated, permitted, and inspected by state agencies to ensure its safety and compliance with standards. Despite being rated as having a significant hazard potential, its condition assessment remains unrated as of the last inspection in August 2010. With a designated emergency action plan and regular inspection frequency, Pleasant Valley Lake Dam plays a crucial role in water resource management and public safety in the region.
Although lacking in certain detailed information such as the year of completion and specific spillway type, Pleasant Valley Lake Dam stands as a vital structure within the Pittsburgh District of Virginia. With its picturesque location and essential role in providing recreational opportunities, the dam stands as a testament to the intersection of water resource management, climate resilience, and public safety in the region.
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 Pleasant Valley Lake Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Cedar Creek Near Winchester | 19 cfs | → |
| Hogue Creek Near Hayfield | 2 cfs | → |
| N F Shenandoah River Near Strasburg | 107 cfs | → |
| Passage Creek Near Buckton | 12 cfs | → |
| Waites Run Near Wardensville | 4 cfs | → |
| Opequon Creek Near Berryville | 14 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Pleasant Valley Lake Dam.
Boat launches
- Strasburg Trail Strasburg
- Country Club Road Warren County
- Luray Avenue Front Royal
- Boat Ramp Warren County
- Misty Meadow Lane Warren County
- Seekford Boat Launch
Campgrounds
- Hawk
- Hawk Recreation Area
- Hawk Campground
- Mudhole Gap Camping
- Elizabeth Furnace Family Campground
- Elizabeth Furnace
Fishing spots
- White Sulphur Pond
- Batzell Boat Launch
- Moody Boat Launch
- Bealers Ferry Boat Launch
- Bealers Ferry Pond Accessible Fishing Site
- Orchard Pond
Paddle runs
- Headwaters Adjacent To Fdt 573 To State Route 622 Bridge
- Capon Bridge To Ends Just South Of Largent
- State Route 675 At Edinburg, Va To State Highway 55 Southeast Of Strasburg, Va
- Wardensville To The Town Of Capon Bridge
- Begins Where The Lost River Becomes The Cacapon River To Wardensville
- Segment C--Nf Boundary To Confluence With North Fork Shenandoah River
Track Pleasant Valley Lake 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 Pleasant Valley Lake Dam
Where does the data for Pleasant Valley Lake 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 Significant 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 Pleasant Valley Lake Dam.