Contee Main Settling Pond
Contee Main Settling Pond is an earth dam located in Prince George's County, Maryland, built in 1973. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a unsatisfactory condition assessment.
About Contee Main Settling Pond
The primary purpose of Contee Main Settling Pond 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 Laurel Sand And Gravel, Inc (private). It impounds the Indian Creek near Beltsville.
The dam stands 41 feet tall and stretches 900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 55 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1973, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
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. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. Notably, no emergency action plan is currently on file for this high-hazard dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/14/2024.
At 41 feet, this dam is taller than 88% of dams nationwide.
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 Maryland 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 | Maryland |
| County | Prince George's |
| Nearest City | Beltsville |
| River/Stream | Indian Creek |
| Coordinates | 39.07000, -76.91000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Height | 41 ft |
| Dam Length | 900 ft |
| Year Completed | 1973 (53 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 55 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 55 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 8 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 2 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 5,500 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Laurel Sand and Gravel, Inc |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Unsatisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/14/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MD00081 |
| Federal ID | MD00081 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |