Four Seam Slurry Dam

Four Seam Slurry Dam is an earth dam located in Perry County, Kentucky. It carries a High hazard potential classification.

About Four Seam Slurry Dam

The primary purpose of Four Seam Slurry 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 Perry County Coal Corporation (private).

The dam stands 410 feet tall and stretches 1,780 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 10,684 acre-feet.

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.

At 410 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

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 Kentucky 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.

High HazardNot Available ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateKentucky
CountyPerry
Nearest CityHazard
Coordinates37.20389, -83.18639

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height410 ft
Dam Height410 ft
Dam Length1,780 ft

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage10,684 acre-ft
Max Storage10,684 acre-ft

Ownership & Safety

PurposeTailings
OwnerPerry County Coal Corporation
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationHigh
Condition AssessmentNot Available
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDKY83513
Federal IDKY83513
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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