Failure of Dam No. 3 on the Middle Fork of Buffalo Creek near Saunders, West Virginia on February 26, 1972 (1972)

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To help ave rt f uture disasters sim1.·1ar to Buffalo Cr eek , we r ecommend an in ves ti ga tion of the failure of Dam No, 3. The purp oses of this investiga tion are to de tennine th e pro bbl a e mechanis m(s ) causing the fai lur e , means by which the f a ilur e cou ld h av e bee n prevent ed, and procedures for inspecting and altering dams which appear to be un safe . This investigation should include the followi ng aspects : 1. Construction and operating history of Dam No. 3 . 2. Field and laboratory tests to de termin e the nat ure and behavior of the materials compo s i ng Dam No. 3. 3, Groundwater hydrology of the site. 4. Flow a nd stability analyses of Dam No, 3 to predict its perfonnance under va rying operating conditions. 5. Observations of flow and s tabilit y in simil ar dams. The public should be protected from disasters like the Buffalo Cr eek flood. The failure of Dam No, 3 offers an opportunity to study t hese small, but complex, water-retaining structures, ACKN OWLEDGEMENTS The insp ect ion team would lik e to acknow l edge the effo rt s of the Huntington Dist rict, Corps of Engi neers , in gettin g the team to the di sas ter si te. Those participating in thi s effort includ ed Mr. Harol d Beemer , Chie f , Engineering Division, Mr, Bob Lane, pilot for th e Dis - trict, and Mr . Bob Casey, In addit ion, the team would l i ke t o t hank Mr. Bo Copl ey , Ass i stan t Chief, Engineering Divisio n, f or hi s ass i stance in obt ain in g copies of both pr e - and po s t -disas t er aer i a l photo grap hy . 14 

Many indivi duals in federal, st ate, and pri va t e agencies pro- vided back gro und infonnation used i n th e prep ar ation of t h i s report, The t eam is gra t efu l to them for t heir contributions. Fin all y , the t ea.n Would li ke to th ank Mr. Onas Aliff and Mr. Marsh all Zinn, stud en t s at we s t Vir gini a Uni v ersit y , for the l abor atory testin g of t he r e fu se . 15 

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r ,.,...,. "-.,..-' I r-• r ·..,--, STOWE ~--sj / . iief''f. ·s11tt• 'o 37°45 ' '•" ""." KEV i.&AP Of'COUNTie; 1-- " " -.J ,./ ·__...__ :). LOGAN COUNTY '"--,·~~ _) "' 0 . \ \ ,J --v-v- /' °'v ·) WEST 'fll"t:ff\-..>M~ '°"'-'<XDP\A.~~ u•ncD&-.....,_,,, -- ----- ___,,.._,.,oP .....,__~ VIRGINIA OI MQM..._,, l__ J -·--- L\ ~--- __....,,,,,,,. ~ -= .1 ( ., 'V 37"• 0' ~ ......... . ......-..........0. r--,J v · ..... FIGURE 2 Map of Buffalo Creek from Sa und e r s to Man, West Virginia .• 

"84 t-' CX> FIGURE 3 Portion o f USGS Lor ado Quadr a ngl e Map s howin g Saund e r s Ar ea . (Sca l e 1: 24000 , Contour Int e rv al - 40 ft . ) 

FIGURE4 Aeri al Photo g raph of Re fuse Bank and Dam No, 1 as of March 29, 1966, Approximate Sc a l e : l" = 1000'. 19 

FIGURE 5 Aeri a l Photograph sh owing App ro xim a t e Location s of Dam Si tes ( 2- 27-72). Appro ximate Scale: l" = 500 ' . 20 

FIGURE 6 Aerial Photograp h 0 f Saunders Area (2 - 27- 72) . Approximate Sea 1e: l " = 500' . 21 

~ HYDROMETER - 1,-.,-...-.....-+-i-Mirr-,...;.4;.=--.-+....;:.--':;-,;;,..,.-;..,.....,;....,....;........:;.~~:...;.:;....,:;,:;..,.;=.......:.;;.....::c..=--.:..;;.~~~'rr~-r-r-,,---.----rT'T"-,-....--r-,.--r--,---,O oc 90 80 70 ,_ :r ;;,, t, ~ .., "" .,, .. • ~ 50 6C 0 V <"" ~ .... 3 N N I ui AO u "" w ~ A. 30 ' " ~J- 20 II I I 1 '11 10 1 1- tHttH, I ,--tt tt-t-t-Jf---t--f - --+H-1- +++-l- -;-:.~ -!-1-J L/-t --l-, H~ l--- .f.1-1. U-I-J_j___,L__J 90 I I o' 500 I '~'~" I I '' ' ' I II 100 , .. II II 50 , , I I ' I I ~-JOC.--,-To-'--'--..__,~7~.J._=~-P..LL½.LLL-,,1,L~bLLL--::JJ/l,J'-l-LLJ_ I _ 0 . 001100 _J '" J I COHlES I CO,USf CIAVEL I ""' f CO,USf SANO Mro,uM "Nl SILT O• CLAY FIGURE 7 Grain Size Distribu t ion Curve fo r Coal Refuse Sample Taken at Dam No. 3 Site. 

Downstream View of Reservoir in Left and Ri gh t Abutments of Dam No. 3 (at Pil e, an d Buffalo Creek. FIGURE 9 Lookin g Downstream from Left Abutment . 23 

FI GURE 10 Looki ng at Ri ght Abutme nt of Dam No. 3 f r om Lef t Abut men t. FI GURE 11 Looking Upstream at Reserv oir Ar ea f r om Cen ter of Dam. 24 

FI GURE12 Looki ng up at Left Abut ment , Dam No. 2 Formerly i n For eg round. FI GURE13 Looking Downs tr eam a t Was hed Out Gul ley by Was t e Pile . 25 

FI GURE 14 Looking Upstream at Edge of Waste Pile. FIGURE 15 Looking Downstream at Buffalo Creek from Lower Right Edge of Waste Pile. 26 

FIGURE 16 Lookin g Upstream at Buffalo Creek , 5 Miles Below Dam, FIGURE 17 Home Removed from it s Foundation and Damaged Automobile 5 Miles Below Dam, 27 

FIGURE 18 Town 8 Miles Bel ow Dam. FI GURE 19 Homes 10 Mile s B,elow Dam. 28 

Bu i lding indicates Church Condemned.) Removed from its Foundation . (X on 29 • 

FIGURE 22 Debris 14 Miles Below Darn. FIGURE 23 Guardsmen Searching Debris for Missi ng Bodies. Fourt ee n Mil es Below Dam. 30 

FIGURE 24 Destroyed Bridge . FIGURE 25 Destroyed Bridge. 31 

FIGURE 26 Temporary Bridge on Abutments of Destroyed Hi ghway Br idge, Note Debris in Background. Bent Railro ad Rai l s 5 Miles Below Dam, 32 

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