North Fork Pound Reservoir facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Fork of Pound Lake |
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 North Fork of Pound Lake
Location in Virginia
North Fork of Pound Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Wise County, Virginia, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°07′29″N 82°37′50″W / 37.12472°N 82.63056°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | North Fork Pound River |
| Primary outflows | North Fork Pound River |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 154 acres (62 ha) |
| Average depth | 19 feet (6 m) |
| Max. depth | 55 feet (17 m) |
| Shore length1 | 13.5 miles (21.7 m) |
| Surface elevation | 1,601 feet (488 m) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The North Fork Pound Reservoir (also called North Fork of Pound Lake) is a large, human-made lake in Wise County, Virginia. It was created in 1966. The United States Army Corps of Engineers manages this important lake. Its main job is to help control floods in the area.
The River's Journey
The North Fork of the Pound River is a key part of a bigger river system. This system eventually flows into the Ohio River. The waters from the North Fork first travel northeast. They then meet the South Fork River. Together, they form the main Pound River.
The Pound River then flows into the John W. Flannagan Dam. From there, its waters join the Russell Fork River near Haysi, Virginia. The Russell Fork cuts through the Allegheny Mountain range. It then meets the Levisa Fork. Finally, it joins the Tug Fork at Louisa. At this point, these rivers combine to form the Big Sandy River. This large river then flows into the Ohio River.
Building North Fork Pound Lake
Work on the North Fork Pound Reservoir began in 1966. The United States Army Corps of Engineers built it. This project was approved by the Flood Control Act of 1960. The main goal was to protect the area from floods.
The dam itself was finished in 1963. It cost about $6.2 million to build. This dam is a "rock fill" type. It means it's made mostly of rocks and earth. The dam stands 122 feet (37 m) high. It stretches 600 feet (180 m) long.
Water is released from the dam through three special gates. Each gate is 3 feet wide and 6 feet (1.8 m) high. These gates control how much water flows out. The lake's normal water level is kept at 1,611 feet (491 m) above sea level. In the fall, the lake's level is lowered by 10 feet (3.0 m). This creates space to hold extra water from fall and spring rains.
The lake covers about 154 acres (0.62 km2) of land. It also has 13.5 miles (21.7 km) of wooded shoreline. In 1983, the United States Forest Service took over the land around the lake.
