Saddle Creek Sa-2

Saddle Creek Sa-2 is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1956. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.

Hazard potentialSignificantFailure could cause major damage
ConditionNot assessed
Emergency action planNone on file
Last inspectionNot reported
Height24 ft
Built195670 years ago

Dam profile

NID height · 24 ft
24 FT TWO-STORY HOUSEMEDIAN U.S. DAM · 24 FT

24 ft tall and 15,800 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.

About Saddle Creek Sa-2

The primary purpose of Saddle Creek Sa-2 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 The Mosaic Company (private). It impounds the Saddle Creek near Lakeland.

The dam stands 24 feet tall and stretches 15,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 657 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 15,770 acre-feet. Completed in 1956, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

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.

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Location

StateFlorida
CountyPolk
Nearest CityLakeland
River/StreamSaddle Creek
Coordinates28.12000, -81.90000

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height24 ft
Dam Height24 ft
Dam Length15,800 ft
Year Completed1956 (70 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage15,770 acre-ft
Max Storage15,770 acre-ft
Normal Storage15,770 acre-ft
Surface Area657 acres
Max Discharge220 cfs

Ownership & Safety

PurposeTailings
OwnerThe Mosaic Company
Owner TypePrivate
Hazard ClassificationSignificant
Condition AssessmentNot assessed
Emergency Action PlanNo

Identifiers

NID IDFL00564
Federal IDFL00564
More InfoState Dam Safety Program