Running the River

Summersville Lake harnesses the Gauley River through a dam and Howell-Bunger valves, now called fixed-cone valves, whose outlet structure was completed on March 23, 1966, and continues to control the lake’s water flow. These valves require only a relatively small force to move, allow excellent flow regulation over a wide range of discharges, and can oxygenate water in ways that benefit downstream ecosystems. At the time of installation, they were the largest valves of their type. Shortly after entering operation, the original valves suffered fatigue-type failure and had to be replaced; the 1966 model gave way to a thicker, stronger 1969 model, and two new valves were later installed in 2012 and 2017. The valves have a diameter of 9 feet, weigh 66,100 pounds or 30 tons, and can handle a maximum flow of 6,500 cubic feet per second or 48,625 gallons per second.

West Virginia · United States