Tilden Recirculation Basin

About Tilden Recirculation Basin

The primary purpose of Tilden Recirculation Basin is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by Tilden Mining Company Lc (private). It impounds the Tributary To Schweitzer Creek near Gwinn.

The dam stands 100 feet tall and stretches 22,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 600 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 14,946 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/01/2018. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.

At 100 feet, this dam is taller than 98% 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 Michigan dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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