Pioneer Tailings

About Pioneer Tailings

The primary purpose of Pioneer Tailings 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 Ely (local government). It impounds the Lonsdorf Creek near Local Residents.

The dam stands 25 feet tall and stretches 2,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 63 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 590 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1961, 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. 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 09/19/2023.

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