Briar Plant Dam No 1

About Briar Plant Dam No 1

The primary purpose of Briar Plant Dam No 1 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 Certainteed Gypsum (private). It impounds the Bluff Creek near Nathan.

The dam stands 34 feet tall and stretches 1,663 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 66 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 800 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1967, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 10/15/2015. That was over 10 years ago.

At 34 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.

Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.