Springer Tungsten Dam

About Springer Tungsten Dam

The primary purpose of Springer Tungsten 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 Springer Mining Company (private). It impounds the Humboldt River-os near Mill City.

The dam stands 18 feet tall and stretches 10,150 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 126 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,350 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1982, the structure is 44 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 10/07/2021.

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