Bluestone Dam dam
Bluestone Dam
Bluestone Dam, also known as Bluestone Lake, is a concrete gravity dam located in Hinton, West Virginia, along the New River. Completed in 1947, the primary purpose of the dam is flood risk reduction, with additional benefits for fish and wildlife, recreation, and water storage. The dam's structural height reaches 165 feet, with a spillway width of 630 feet to manage extreme storm events.
While Bluestone Dam greatly reduces flood risks downstream, it does not eliminate them entirely. With a high hazard potential, the dam faces rare but possible events that could lead to significant flooding in river-front communities. To address these risks, the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has invested in ongoing construction projects to reinforce critical components like the primary stilling basin to ensure the dam's ability to safely store storm waters and discharge extreme flows.
USACE works closely with federal, state, and local emergency managers to reduce risks to the public, updating emergency action plans, conducting exercises, and monitoring the dam's health. Construction efforts, including new concrete installations and innovative features, are expected to be completed by 2030 to enhance the dam's resilience against extreme events. For more information on construction progress, visit https://www.lrh.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Current-Projects/Bluestone-DSA/.
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 Bluestone Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Greenbrier River At Hilldale | 9,060 cfs | → |
| Bluestone River Near Pipestem | 182 cfs | → |
| Greenbrier River At Alderson | 9,200 cfs | → |
| Piney Creek At Raleigh | 23 cfs | → |
| New River At Glen Lyn | 2,410 cfs | → |
| Wolf Creek Near Narrows | 144 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Bluestone Dam.
Boat launches
- New River Road Raleigh County
- Island Loop Trail Raleigh County
- Clayton-Judson Road Summers County
- Raleigh County
- State Route 41 Fayette County
Campgrounds
- Bluestone State Park
- Berry's Campground
- Bertha - Bluestone Wma
- Bull Falls - Bluestone Wma
- Mouth Of Indian Creek - Bluestone Wma
- Indian Mills - Bluestone Wma
Paddle runs
- Bluestone Dam To Gauley Bridge
- Bluestone Dam To Sandstone
- The U.S. Route 460 Bridge In Glen Lyn, Virginia To The Maximum Summer Pool Elevation Of Bluestone Lake, South Of Hinton, West Virginia
- Jefferson Nf Boundary Near Confluence With Nettle Hollow To Confluence With Laurel Branch
- Jefferson Nf Boundary (Above Cascades Fall) To Jefferson Nf Boundary (Below Cascades Fall)
- Meadow Creek Junction To The Route U.S. 19 Bridge
Track Bluestone 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 Bluestone Dam
Where does the data for Bluestone 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 Bluestone Dam.