Paradise Fossil Plant - Coal Wash Fines Pond #3 is an earth dam located in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, built in 1994. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 99 ft99 ft tall and 10,080 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 Paradise Fossil Plant - Coal Wash Fines Pond #3
The primary purpose of Paradise Fossil Plant - Coal Wash Fines Pond #3 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 TVA (federal). It impounds the Green River - Offstream near Drakesboro.
The dam stands 99 feet tall and stretches 10,080 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 80 acres, has a storage capacity of 92 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1994, the structure is 32 years old.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. The most recent inspection on record was 02/06/2024.
At 99 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Kentucky |
| County | Muhlenberg |
| Nearest City | Drakesboro |
| River/Stream | Green River - Offstream |
| Coordinates | 37.26700, -87.01000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 99 ft |
| Dam Height | 99 ft |
| Dam Length | 10,080 ft |
| Year Completed | 1994 (32 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 92 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 92 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 80 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | TVA |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 02/06/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | KY05015 |
| Federal ID | KY05015 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |