Homestake Copper Dam is an earth dam located in Houghton County, Michigan, built in 1975. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 21 ft21 ft tall and 3,654 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Homestake Copper Dam
The primary purpose of Homestake Copper Dam 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 No Houghton Co Water and Sewer Auth (local government). It impounds the Slaughterhouse Creek near Lake Linden.
The dam stands 21 feet tall and stretches 3,654 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 39 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 378 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1975, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. The most recent inspection on record was 10/04/2016. That was over 10 years ago.
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Location
| State | Michigan |
| County | Houghton |
| Nearest City | Lake Linden |
| River/Stream | Slaughterhouse Creek |
| Coordinates | 47.26628, -88.43277 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Height | 21 ft |
| Dam Length | 3,654 ft |
| Year Completed | 1975 (51 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 378 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 378 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 324 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 39 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 100 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | No Houghton Co Water and Sewer Auth |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/04/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MI00673 |
| Federal ID | MI00673 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |