Fletcher Tailings Dam

About Fletcher Tailings Dam

The primary purpose of Fletcher Tailings 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 Doe Run Company (private). It impounds the Tr Bee Fork near Centerville.

The dam stands 201 feet tall and stretches 3,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 128 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 5,333 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1965, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. Its condition is rated unsatisfactory, indicating serious safety deficiencies exist that require immediate attention or remedial action. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/05/2009. That was 17 years ago — unusually long for a high-hazard dam, which typically requires more frequent inspections.

At 201 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Missouri dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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