Bluestone Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bluestone Lake |
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Bluestone Dam
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 Bluestone Lake
Location in West Virginia
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| Location | West Virginia/Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°38′25″N 80°53′09″W / 37.64028°N 80.88583°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | New River |
| Catchment area | 4,565 sq mi (11,820 km2) |
| Built | January 1952 |
| Max. length | 10.7 mi (17.2 km) |
| Surface area | 2,040 acres (830 ha) |
| Settlements | Hinton, West Virginia |
Bluestone Lake is a large lake in West Virginia. It was created to help control floods. The lake is on the New River near Hinton.
Normally, Bluestone Lake covers about 2,040 acres (8.3 km2). It stretches for about 10.7-mile (17.2 km). When there's a lot of rain, the lake can get much bigger. It can grow to over 36 miles (58 km) long. During big floods, the lake even reaches into Giles County, Virginia.
Contents
Bluestone Dam: A Flood Protector
Bluestone Lake is formed by the Bluestone Dam. This dam is made of concrete. It stands just upstream from where the New River meets the Greenbrier River. The dam is 165 feet (50 m) high and 2,048 feet (624 m) long.
The idea for the dam started in 1935. The U.S. Congress approved it in 1936 and 1938. Construction began in 1941. Work stopped in 1944 because of World War II. It started again in 1946 and was finished in 1949.
Keeping the Dam Super Safe
Engineers later found out that Bluestone Dam needed to be even stronger. It had to be able to handle the biggest possible floods. If not, the dam could be at risk. To fix this, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started a special safety program.
This program includes making the dam 8 feet (2.4 m) taller. They are also adding strong anchors to connect the dam to the bedrock below. This makes it much more stable. Other improvements are being made too. The first part of this safety work finished in 2004. More work is still happening to make sure the dam is as safe as possible.
Fun at Bluestone Lake
Bluestone Lake is a great place for outdoor activities. Because it's so big, you can enjoy many things. These include boating and fishing.
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources manages two areas here. They are Bluestone State Park and Bluestone Wildlife Management Area. Both of these areas are next to the lake. You can go camping and do other fun activities at these spots.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of the dam in 2011
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Front of the dam in 2006
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