Silver Basin 1 is an earth dam located in Graham County, Arizona. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 225 ft225 ft tall and 1 ft long, taller than 99% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against the Statue of Liberty, 305 ft ground to torch; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Silver Basin 1
The primary purpose of Silver Basin 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 Freeport Mcmoran Morenci Inc. (private).
The dam stands 225 feet tall and stretches 1 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 1,400 acre-feet.
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.
At 225 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Arizona |
| County | Graham |
| Nearest City | Morenci |
| Coordinates | 33.03306, -109.70000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 225 ft |
| Dam Height | 225 ft |
| Dam Length | 1 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,400 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,400 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Freeport Mcmoran Morenci Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AZ83455 |
| Federal ID | AZ83455 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |