Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility dam
Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility
Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility in Clay, West Virginia, is a privately owned dam with a height of 260 feet and a length of 1900 feet completed in 1997. The dam is situated on the Big Branch of Lilly Fork and has a storage capacity of 4828 acre-feet, serving a primary purpose of "other." The facility is regulated by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and is subject to state inspection and enforcement.
With a hazard potential rated as high, the condition of the dam is currently not rated, highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring and maintenance. The dam's drainage area is 0.53 square miles, and it covers a surface area of 71.7 acres. Despite its critical role in water resource management, the dam lacks an emergency action plan and has not undergone a risk assessment.
Given its significant storage capacity and location near residential areas, the Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility presents a potential risk in the event of a dam failure. To ensure the safety of the surrounding community and the integrity of the dam, it is essential for proper risk management measures to be implemented, including the development of an emergency action plan and regular condition assessments.
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 Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Elk River At Clay | 11,200 cfs | → |
| Peters Creek Near Lockwood | 41 cfs | → |
| Gauley River Above Belva | 2,600 cfs | → |
| Elk River At Queen Shoals | 1,230 cfs | → |
| Birch River At Herold | 11 cfs | → |
| Kanawha River At Kanawha Falls | 7,040 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility.
Boat launches
- Heritage Farms Drive Nicholas County
- County Route 19/32 Nicholas County
- Battle Run Public Boat Launch
- Us 19;Wv 41 Summersville
- Persinger Ford Road Nicholas County
- Fayette Station Road Fayetteville
Campgrounds
- Gauley River Wild & Woolly Primitive Campground
- Carnifex Ferry Cabins
- Battle Run Campground
- Battle Run
- Mountain Lake Campground
- Ray's Campground
Paddle runs
- Begins Below Summersville Lake To The Town Of Swiss
- Upper Gauley - Summersville Dam To Mason Branch
- The Cora Brown Bridge In Nicholas County To The Confluence With The Elk River In Braxton County
- The Route U.S. 19 Bridge To The Confluence With The Gauley River
- The Junction With Williams River To The Junction With Panther Creek
- Rabbit Run To Private Land .5 Mile From Richwood
Track Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility 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 Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility
Where does the data for Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility 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 Big Branch Coal Refuse Facility.