Razorblade Branch Slurry Impoundment is an earth dam located in Letcher County, Kentucky. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 422 ft422 ft tall and 1,840 ft long, taller than 99% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against the Washington Monument, 555 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Razorblade Branch Slurry Impoundment
The primary purpose of Razorblade Branch Slurry Impoundment 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 Deane Mining LLC (private).
The dam stands 422 feet tall and stretches 1,840 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 13,153 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam.
At 422 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 Kentucky 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 | Kentucky |
| County | Letcher |
| Nearest City | Democrat |
| Coordinates | 37.24639, -82.78056 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 422 ft |
| Dam Height | 422 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,840 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 13,153 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 13,153 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Deane Mining LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KY00663 |
| Federal ID | KY00663 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |