HUNTINGTON, WV… The Summersville Dam in Summersville, W.Va., will host a special ceremony Friday, Aug. 19, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. to observe the 50th Anniversary and Rededication of the projected built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington District.
The ceremony will take place at the Summersville Lake Picnic Area (overlooking the dam). It will include an American Flag Skydiver over the lake, comments by Congressman Evan Jenkins, District Commander Col. Philip Secrist, Lake Manager Toby Wood and other area representatives. Also present will be members of the construction crew who helped build the dam in the 1960s. To commemorate the event, a special Time Capsule will be dedicated.
Summersville Lake is a rock fill dam that was completed and dedicated in 1966 by President Lyndon Johnson. The dam is 390 feet high, 2,880 feet long, 40 ft. wide at the top and 1,780 ft. wide at the base. It serves a drainage area of 803 square miles. The dam has prevented over $771 million in flood damages, and almost a million visitors enjoy recreation opportunities at the lake annually.
Since 2001, the City of Summersville and American Municipal Power have operated a hydroelectric plant at Summersville Lake. It also provides 4 million gallons of water per day to approximately 12,000 citizens in the area.
For more information, call Public Affairs at 304-399-5353.
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