Gathright Dam is an earthen and rolled rock-fill embankment dam on the Jackson River 19 miles (31 km) north of Covington, Virginia. The dam is 257 feet (78 m) tall and 1,310 feet (400 m) long and has a controlled spillway within the structure's southern portion. It creates Lake Moomaw, which has a normal volume of 40 billion US gallons (150,000,000 m3). The dam serves flood control and recreational purposes and is operated by the U.S.