Saddle Creek Settling Area No 5
Saddle Creek Settling Area No 5 is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1971. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
About Saddle Creek Settling Area No 5
The primary purpose of Saddle Creek Settling Area No 5 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 The Mosaic Company (private). It impounds the Saddle Creek near Lakeland.
The dam stands 55 feet tall and stretches 14,700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 18 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 10,280 acre-feet. Completed in 1971, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life.
At 55 feet, this dam is taller than 94% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Lakeland |
| River/Stream | Saddle Creek |
| Coordinates | 28.11126, -81.90043 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 55 ft |
| Dam Height | 55 ft |
| Dam Length | 14,700 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 10,280 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 10,280 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 3,930 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 18 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | THE MOSAIC COMPANY |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | FL00178 |
| Federal ID | FL00178 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |