West Akins Dam
West Akins Dam is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1963. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About West Akins Dam
The primary purpose of West Akins Dam 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 City Of Lakeland (local government). It impounds the Unnamed Lake near Mulberry.
The dam stands 37 feet tall and stretches 17,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1,600 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 10,620 acre-feet. Completed in 1963, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/22/2014. That was 11 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.
At 37 feet, this dam is taller than 84% of dams nationwide.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Florida dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Mulberry |
| River/Stream | Unnamed Lake |
| Coordinates | 27.91000, -81.95000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 37 ft |
| Dam Height | 37 ft |
| Dam Length | 17,000 ft |
| Year Completed | 1963 (63 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 10,620 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 10,620 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 7,050 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1,600 acres |
| Max Discharge | 250 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | CITY OF LAKELAND |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/22/2014 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | FL00185 |
| Federal ID | FL00185 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |