East Catchment Basin Dam
East Catchment Basin Dam is an earth dam located in Eddy County, New Mexico. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About East Catchment Basin Dam
The primary purpose of East Catchment Basin 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 Intrepid Potash, Inc. (private).
The dam stands 33 feet tall and stretches 2,840 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 54 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 760 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 02/28/2019.
At 33 feet, this dam is taller than 78% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Eddy |
| Nearest City | Rural |
| Coordinates | 32.50210, -103.79990 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Height | 33 ft |
| Dam Length | 2,840 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 760 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 760 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 54 acres |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | INTREPID POTASH, INC. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 02/28/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00696 |
| Federal ID | NM00696 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |