Brushy Fork Coal Impoundment facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brushy Fork Coal Impoundment |
|
|---|---|
 Location of Brushy Fork Coal Impoundment in West Virginia
|
|
| Country | United States |
| Location | Marfork, Raleigh County, West Virginia |
| Coordinates | 37°54′59.48″N 81°28′59.95″W / 37.9165222°N 81.4833194°W |
| Purpose | Tailings storage |
| Status | Operational, steadily enlarged |
| Construction began | 1995 |
| Owner(s) | Massey Energy |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment |
| Impounds | Brushy Fork |
| Height | Current: 900 ft (270 m) Design: 954 ft (291 m) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | Current: 25,100 acre⋅ft (31,000,000 m3) Design: 30,075 acre⋅ft (37,097,000 m3) |
The Brushy Fork Coal Impoundment is a very large dam in West Virginia, United States. It is also known as the Brushy Fork Coal Sludge Dam. This dam holds a special kind of waste called "sludge" from a nearby coal mine. It is located near Marfork in Raleigh County.
Contents
What is the Brushy Fork Dam?
The Brushy Fork Coal Impoundment is a huge dam. It is built to store waste materials from coal mining. This waste is a thick, muddy mixture called "sludge" or "tailings".
Where is the Dam Located?
The dam sits on the Brushy Fork stream. This stream flows into Little Marsh Fork. Then, Little Marsh Fork joins Marsh Fork, which is a part of the Coal River. The dam is about 18 mi (29 km) northwest of Beckley.
How Big is the Dam?
Construction on the dam started in 1995. It has been made bigger over time. Today, the dam is about 900 ft (270 m) tall. That's almost as tall as a 90-story building! This makes it one of the tallest dams in the Western Hemisphere.
The dam is still being built to its final size. When it is finished, it will be 954 ft (291 m) tall. The dam is built using wasted rock from the coal mining process.
What Does the Dam Hold?
The dam currently holds about 25,100 acre⋅ft (31,000,000 m3) of waste. To give you an idea, an acre-foot is enough water to cover one acre of land with one foot of water. When the dam is fully built, it will be able to hold even more. Its final capacity will be 30,075 acre⋅ft (37,097,000 m3) of waste.
