Gardinier Area E
Gardinier Area E is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1976. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
About Gardinier Area E
The primary purpose of Gardinier Area E 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 Whidden Creek near Bowling Green.
The dam stands 48 feet tall and stretches 20,330 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 472 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 22,666 acre-feet. Completed in 1976, the structure is 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.
At 48 feet, this dam is taller than 92% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Bowling Green |
| River/Stream | Whidden Creek |
| Coordinates | 27.72000, -81.86000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 48 ft |
| Dam Height | 48 ft |
| Dam Length | 20,330 ft |
| Year Completed | 1976 (50 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 22,666 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 22,666 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 18,500 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 472 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | THE MOSAIC COMPANY |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not Rated |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | FL00623 |
| Federal ID | FL00623 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |