West Hill Mine Pit
West Hill Mine Pit is a rockfill dam located in Koochiching County, Minnesota. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About West Hill Mine Pit
The primary purpose of West Hill Mine Pit 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 Glacial Park Iron Ore Properties (private).
The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 20 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 80 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,440 acre-feet.
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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 09/28/2021.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Koochiching |
| Nearest City | Coleraine |
| Coordinates | 48.09221, -93.49809 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 18 ft |
| Dam Height | 18 ft |
| Dam Length | 20 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,440 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,440 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 80 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Glacial Park Iron Ore Properties |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 09/28/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN01839 |
| Federal ID | MN01839 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |