Orwell-danube West Tailings Basin is an earth dam located in Itasca County, Minnesota, built in 1954. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 40 ft40 ft tall and 5,200 ft long, taller than 86% 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 Orwell-danube West Tailings Basin
The primary purpose of Orwell-danube West Tailings Basin 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 Magnetation (private). It impounds the Prairie River-os.
The dam stands 40 feet tall and stretches 5,200 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,252 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1954, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 06/03/2016. That was over 10 years ago.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Minnesota |
| County | Itasca |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Prairie River-os |
| Coordinates | 47.34516, -93.43106 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Height | 40 ft |
| Dam Length | 5,200 ft |
| Year Completed | 1954 (72 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,252 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,252 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 981 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 150 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Magnetation |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 06/03/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MN00794 |
| Federal ID | MN00794 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |