County at a Glance - McDowell

History^1,2: Created in 1858 from Tazewell County (Virginia) and named in honor of James McDowell, Governor of Virginia from 1843 to 1846.
Area (square miles)¹: 538.40
County Seat¹: Welch
Population (1990)¹: 35,233
Leading Industries and Chief Agricultural Products¹: coal, lumber
Public Recreation Areas³: Anawalt Wildlife Management Area, Berwind Lake Wildlife Management Area, Panther State Forest

Coal Facts and Figures4

   Coal Reserve Summary
      Original Mineable Reserves = 5,340,598,171 tons
      Reported Production, 1883-1995 = 1,502,155,292 tons
      Estimated Loss = 1,001,436,861 tons
      Estimated Recoverable Reserves = 1,702,203,611 tons

   Coal Production, 1995
      Total Production = 6,132,532 tons
         Production from Underground Mines = 5,138,972 tons
         (Number of Underground Mines = 103)
            Conventional =   392,173 tons
              Continuous = 4,746,799 tons
                Longwall =         0 tons
                   Other =         0 tons
         Production from Surface Mines =       993,560 tons
         (Number of Surface Mines = 29)


Gas and Oil Facts and Figures5

   NOTE THAT THE FOLLOWING DATA ARE PRELIMINARY VALUES--
   NOT ALL 1995 DATA HAVE BEEN REPORTED AND
   NOT ALL 1995 DATA HAVE BEEN QUALITY CHECKED.

   Gas Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 8,890,041 thousand cubic feet (Mcf)
      Well Count = 825
      Average Production = 10,775.8 Mcf

   Oil Production, 1995
      Total Reported Production = 485 barrels (bbl)
      Well Count = 1
      Average Production = 485.0 bbl

¹ Information Source = Counties in West Virginia Blue Book - 1995: D. E. Holmes (ed.), Chapman Printing, vol. 77, p. 731-846.

² Information Source = New Descriptive Atlas of West Virginia: 1933, Clarksburg Publishing Company, 64 p.

³ Information Source = Departmental, Statistical, and General Information in West Virginia Blue Book - 1995: D. E. Holmes (ed.), Chapman Printing, vol. 77, p. 953-1038.

⁴ Information Source = Statistical Section in Annual Report and Directory of Mines - 1995, West Virginia Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training, July 1996, p. 23-66. [Note: Original Mineable Reserves from the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES)]

⁵ Information Source = West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP); data have undergone a cursory quality check by the WVGES

Page last revised: November 17, 2005

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