Killen Station Ash Disposal Dike

About Killen Station Ash Disposal Dike

The primary purpose of Killen Station Ash Disposal Dike 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 Kingfisher Development Llc (public utility). It impounds the Ohio River - Offstream near Concord.

The dam stands 84 feet tall and stretches 14,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 230 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 12,890 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1982, the structure is 44 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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/08/2023.

At 84 feet, this dam is taller than 97% of all dams in the United States.

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

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