Palmetto Settling Area No 5
Palmetto Settling Area No 5 is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1969. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
About Palmetto Settling Area No 5
The primary purpose of Palmetto 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 Little Payne Creek near Fort Meade.
The dam stands 47 feet tall and stretches 14,900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 251 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 11,800 acre-feet. Completed in 1969, 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.
At 47 feet, this dam is taller than 92% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Fort Meade |
| River/Stream | Little Payne Creek |
| Coordinates | 27.67000, -81.93000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 47 ft |
| Dam Height | 47 ft |
| Dam Length | 14,900 ft |
| Year Completed | 1969 (57 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 11,800 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 11,800 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 11,800 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 251 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | THE MOSAIC COMPANY |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | FL00256 |
| Federal ID | FL00256 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |