Plant Site Settling
Plant Site Settling is an earth dam located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, built in 1950. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Plant Site Settling
The primary purpose of Plant Site 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 Sand River-os near Virginia.
The dam stands 15 feet tall and stretches 2,400 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 40 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 463 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1950, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
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 09/20/2023.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | St. Louis |
| Nearest City | Virginia |
| River/Stream | Sand River-os |
| Coordinates | 47.56421, -92.53886 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Length | 2,400 ft |
| Year Completed | 1950 (76 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 463 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 463 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 297 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 40 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 295 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | ArcelorMittal |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 09/20/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00782 |
| Federal ID | MN00782 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |