Douglas Tailings
Douglas Tailings is an earth dam located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, built in 1960. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Douglas Tailings
The primary purpose of Douglas Tailings 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 County Of St. Louis (partial Ownership) (local government). It impounds the Dempsey Creek-tr near Local Residents.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 5,600 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,920 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1960, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in 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 09/21/2023.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 87% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | St. Louis |
| Nearest City | Local Residents |
| River/Stream | Dempsey Creek-tr |
| Coordinates | 47.45741, -92.82980 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Length | 5,600 ft |
| Year Completed | 1960 (66 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 3,920 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 3,920 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,960 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | County of St. Louis (partial ownership) |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 09/21/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00775 |
| Federal ID | MN00775 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |