Bird Branch Holding Pond
Bird Branch Holding Pond is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1971. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
About Bird Branch Holding Pond
The primary purpose of Bird Branch Holding Pond 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 Bird Branch near Nichols.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 1,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 44 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 880 acre-feet. Completed in 1971, 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.
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Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Nichols |
| River/Stream | Bird Branch |
| Coordinates | 27.87000, -82.00000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,000 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 880 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 880 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 484 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 44 acres |
| Max Discharge | 550 cfs |
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 | FL00580 |
| Federal ID | FL00580 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |