4 West is an earth dam located in Graham County, Arizona. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 226 ft226 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 4 West
The primary purpose of 4 West 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 226 feet tall and stretches 1 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 93,275 acre-feet.
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. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam.
At 226 feet, this dam is taller than 99% 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 Arizona dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Arizona |
| County | Graham |
| Nearest City | Morenci |
| Coordinates | 33.03306, -109.70000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 226 ft |
| Dam Height | 226 ft |
| Dam Length | 1 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 93,275 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 93,275 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Freeport Mcmoran Morenci Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | AZ83457 |
| Federal ID | AZ83457 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |