Lucky Friday No 3

About Lucky Friday No 3

The primary purpose of Lucky Friday 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 private-owned. It impounds the South Fork Coeur D Alene River Coeur D Alene River near Mullan.

The dam stands 102 feet tall and stretches 3,400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 25 acres, has a storage capacity of 1,130 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1979, the structure is 47 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. Its condition is rated fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 07/30/2020.

At 102 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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