Sauntry Creek Settling is an earth dam located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, built in 1977. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 32 ft32 ft tall and 600 ft long, taller than 74% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. 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 Sauntry Creek Settling
The primary purpose of Sauntry Creek Settling 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 Arcelormittal (private). It impounds the Sauntry Creek near Virginia.
The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 58 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,500 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1977, the structure is 49 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 10/19/2019.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | St. Louis |
| Nearest City | Virginia |
| River/Stream | Sauntry Creek |
| Coordinates | 47.54839, -92.49775 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Length | 600 ft |
| Year Completed | 1977 (49 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,500 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,500 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,023 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 58 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 300 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Arcelormittal |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 10/19/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00781 |
| Federal ID | MN00781 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |