Martin-marietta Lake Dam

About Martin-marietta Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Martin-marietta Lake 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 Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (private). It impounds the Clarks Creek near Newton.

The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 370 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 1 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 70 acre-feet. Completed in 1969, 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 02/26/2025.

At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 82% of dams nationwide.

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