Red Hill Quartz Plant Dam

About Red Hill Quartz Plant Dam

The primary purpose of Red Hill Quartz Plant Dam is irrigation. The dam stores and diverts water for agricultural irrigation, supporting farming operations in the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Sibelco (private). It impounds the Ut To North Toe River near Huntdale.

The dam stands 42 feet tall and stretches 235 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 4 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 95 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1997, the structure is 29 years old.

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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 09/14/2017. That was 8 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 42 feet, this dam is taller than 89% of dams nationwide.

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 North Carolina dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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