Tailings Pond Dam No 3

About Tailings Pond Dam No 3

The primary purpose of Tailings Pond Dam No 3 is tailings. Tailings dams contain waste material from mining operations — typically a slurry of finely ground rock left over after valuable minerals have been extracted. These structures require ongoing monitoring because tailings can contain heavy metals and other contaminants. The dam is owned by Certainteed Gypsum (private). It impounds the Bluff Creek-tr near Nathan.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 3,672 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 13 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 100 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1963, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 10/15/2015. That was over 10 years ago.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.

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