Nichols (e) is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 105 ft105 ft tall and 7,128 ft long, taller than 98% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Nichols (e)
The primary purpose of Nichols (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 Bird Branch near Willow Oak.
The dam stands 105 feet tall and stretches 7,128 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 70 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,408 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles.
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 105 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Willow Oak |
| River/Stream | Bird Branch |
| Coordinates | 27.87000, -82.02000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 105 ft |
| Dam Height | 100 ft |
| Dam Length | 7,128 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,408 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,408 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 986 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 70 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 110 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | The Mosaic Company |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | FL10047 |
| Federal ID | FL10047 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |