Bluestone Lake nears record levels after Tropical Storm Helene

HINTON, WV (WVNS) — The debris and damage of Tropical Storm Helene affected many parts of Appalachia, while almost breaking a record at a local dam in the Mountain State.

According to the Bluestone Lake information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ website , the Bluestone Lake is at approximately 1,492.93 feet as of 4:00 p.m. on Monday, September 30, 2024 due to weather caused by Tropical Storm Helene resulting in rising water levels at the lake.

With the Bluestone Lake being at around 1,492.93 feet as of around 4:00 p.m. on Monday, September 30, 2024, it was not only above summer pool levels of 1,410 feet and surveillance pool levels of 1,480 feet, it was also close to reaching the record pool mark of 1,506.04 feet from April 6, 1960, with a difference of approximately 13.11 feet.

The Bluestone Lake was created by the Bluestone Dam , and is located in the Hinton area of Summers County. The dam is 165 feet tall and 2,048 feet long, and is one of the major flood control dams in the Mountain State. Construction of the dam began in 1942 to help control flooding issues in the area, however the construction work was paused due to World War II. Eventually, the dam’s construction resumed in January 1946 and was completed in 1952, with a cost of around 30 million dollars.

44 percent of river flow in the Kanawha Valley is controlled by the Bluestone Dam, with over four thousand square miles of drainage area. The dam also had 21 flood gates, a 790-foot spillway, 16 sluices, as well as six hydroelectric sluices that have not been used since the early years of the dam.

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