Tygart Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tygart River Reservoir Dam
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Tygart Lake and Dam, October 1995
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 Location in West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Taylor County, West Virginia, US |
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| Area | 143.2 acres (58.0 ha) |
| Built | 1934 |
| Architect | Paul Philippe Cret |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 95000763 |
| Added to NRHP | June 23, 1995 |
Tygart Dam, also called Tygart River Dam, is a large dam in Taylor County, West Virginia, USA. The United States government built and runs it. This dam helps control the water flow of the Tygart Valley River. The big lake behind the dam is called Tygart Lake. Much of the land around the lake is part of Tygart Lake State Park and Pleasant Creek Wildlife Management Area. In 1995, the dam was added to the National Register of Historic Places because it's an important historical structure.
Building Tygart Dam
The idea for Tygart Dam and Lake was approved by the Rivers and Harbors Act in 1935. This project was the very first of 16 flood control projects planned for the Pittsburgh area by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
The dam was built between 1934 and 1938. Part of its design came from a famous architect named Paul Philippe Cret. The project was supported by the Public Works Administration, a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. Its main goal was to stop floods.
To build the dam, some small towns had to be moved. Places like Yates, Cecil, Sandy, Cove Run, and Stone House were partly or fully cleared out. The dam was built to protect the Tygart River Valley, as well as the Monongahela and upper Ohio Rivers, from flooding. The total cost to build it was about $18.5 million.
About the Dam and Lake
The Dam Structure
Tygart Dam is located about 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Grafton. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns and operates it. The dam is made of concrete and is very strong. It is 1,921 feet (585.5 m) long and 209 feet (63.7 m) thick at its base.
The dam has some cool decorative parts that show the Art Deco style. This was a popular design style when the dam was built. The historic area around the dam includes the dam itself, two homes for dam workers, two maintenance buildings, a comfort and concession building, an overlook for visitors, and the resource manager's office.
Tygart Lake's Role
Tygart Lake is mostly in the southern part of Taylor County. However, its southern end reaches into northern Barbour County. The lake can hold a lot of water. It can store the equivalent of 4.56 inches of rain from its large drainage area, which is 1,184 square miles (3,066 square km).
The dam has been very successful at preventing floods. For example, during the big floods in November 1985, the dam stopped an estimated $195.8 million in damages. It also lowered the flood levels along the Monongahela River by as much as 6.8 feet (2.1 m). Since it was finished in 1938, Tygart Dam has prevented nearly $1.2 billion in flood damages.
