North Fork Pound Reservoir

North Fork Pound Reservoir is a reservoir in Wise County, Virginia. It was built in 1966 as authorised by the Flood Control Act of 1960 and managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

General

The North Fork of Pound River is a part of the upper reaches of the Big Sandy system. On its way to the Ohio River, the waters from North Fork flow northeast and meet the South Fork River to form the Pound River. The Pound River then flows into the John W. Flannagan Dam which empties into the Russell Fork River near Haysi, Virginia. The Russell Fork cuts through the Allegheny Mountain range to join the Levisa Fork then meets the Tug Fork at Louisa and forms the Big Sandy River.

History

Construction began in 1966 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under the Flood Control Act of 1960. The rock fill dam was completed in 1963 at a cost of $6.2 million. The dam is high and long. Water releases from the dam are controlled by three gates located in the intake structure. Lake elevation is maintained at above sea level. During the fall the lake elevation is lowered to hold water from fall and spring runoff. The lake covers and includes of wooded shoreline. The U.S. Forest Service obtained ownership of the lands surrounding the lake in 1983.