Fort Meade Sa-1 is an earth dam located in Polk County, Florida, built in 1980. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 52 ft52 ft tall and 11,800 ft long, taller than 93% 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 Fort Meade Sa-1
The primary purpose of Fort Meade Sa-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 The Mosaic Company (private). It impounds the Payne Creek near Fort Meade.
The dam stands 52 feet tall and stretches 11,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 208 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 10,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1980, the structure is 46 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/23/2006. That was over 20 years ago.
At 52 feet, this dam is taller than 93% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Florida |
| County | Polk |
| Nearest City | Fort Meade |
| River/Stream | Payne Creek |
| Coordinates | 27.69320, -81.87660 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 52 ft |
| Dam Height | 50 ft |
| Dam Length | 11,800 ft |
| Year Completed | 1980 (46 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 10,500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 10,500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 9,360 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 208 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 32 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | The Mosaic Company |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 01/23/2006 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | FL11068 |
| Federal ID | FL11068 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |