Copper Range Company Dam is an earth dam located in Ontonagon County, Michigan, built in 1958. It carries a Undetermined hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 70 ft70 ft tall, taller than 96% 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 Copper Range Company Dam
The primary purpose of Copper Range Company 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 Inmet Mining Company (private). It impounds the Bear Creek near None-lake Superior.
The dam stands 70 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 1,225 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 34,300 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 2 square miles. Completed in 1958, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 11/06/1996. That was over 29 years ago.
At 70 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Michigan |
| County | Ontonagon |
| Nearest City | None-lake Superior |
| River/Stream | Bear Creek |
| Coordinates | 46.81167, -89.24333 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 70 ft |
| Dam Height | 70 ft |
| Year Completed | 1958 (68 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 34,300 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 34,300 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 4,900 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 1,225 acres |
| Drainage Area | 2 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Inmet Mining Company |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Undetermined |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 11/06/1996 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MI02314 |
| Federal ID | MI02314 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |