Summersville Dam Flooded Gad
October 7, 2012 by staff
Summersville Dam Flooded Gad, The dam was constructed between 1960 and 1966 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to control flooding in an 803-square-mile watershed along the Gauley River and the Kanawha River. At 390 feet (120m) tall, 2,280 feet (690m) long, and containing 12,000,000 cubic yards (9,200,000m3) of dirt and rock, the dam itself is the second-largest rock-fill dam in the Eastern United States.
President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicated the dam on September 3, 1966. Behind the dam was created the 2700 acre Summersville Lake with over 60 miles of shoreline. The lake and dam are now major tourist attractions with numerous recreational activities available.
The Corps of Engineers broke a long-standing tradition in naming what was called the Summersville Project. Tradition holds that the project will be named after the town nearest the site of construction, unless named for a person (such as Hoover Dam). However, the town of Summersville was not the one nearest the dam. The village of Gad (located near the present-day marina) was literally flooded at the opening of the reservoir. After briefly considering the name “Gad Dam,” it was instead decided to name the project after the next nearest town – Summersville.
Waterway where the dam is located: Gauley River
Main use of the Water Dam: Flood Control
Material used in the structure: embankment
Height of Dam: 390 feet
Date built: 09/03/1966
Fishing Allowed: yes
Motor Sports Allowed: yes
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