Pend Oreille Mine Nw Tailings Dam
Pend Oreille Mine Nw Tailings Dam is an earth dam located in Pend Oreille County, Washington, built in 2003. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Pend Oreille Mine Nw Tailings Dam
The primary purpose of Pend Oreille Mine Nw Tailings 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 Teck Washington Incorporated (private). It impounds the Offstream - Pend Oreille R..
The dam stands 67 feet tall and stretches 800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,900 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 2003, the structure is relatively new.
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 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 08/01/2024.
At 67 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Washington |
| County | Pend Oreille |
| River/Stream | Offstream - Pend Oreille R. |
| Coordinates | 48.88272, -117.35124 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 67 ft |
| Dam Length | 800 ft |
| Year Completed | 2003 (23 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,900 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,900 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 2,700 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Teck Washington Incorporated |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/01/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WA00640 |
| Federal ID | WA00641S001 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |