Pend Oreille Mine Ne Tailings Dam

About Pend Oreille Mine Ne Tailings Dam

The primary purpose of Pend Oreille Mine Ne 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 72 feet tall and stretches 500 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 72 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.

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