Leadwood Tailings Dam
Leadwood Tailings Dam is an other dam located in St. Francois County, Missouri, built in 1925. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Leadwood Tailings Dam
The primary purpose of Leadwood 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 The Doe Run Company (private). It impounds the Eaton Branch near Leadwood.
The dam stands 58 feet tall and stretches 1,775 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 133 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,400 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 3 square miles. Completed in 1925, the structure is over a century 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/09/2022.
At 58 feet, this dam is taller than 95% 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.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Missouri |
| County | St. Francois |
| Nearest City | Leadwood |
| River/Stream | Eaton Branch |
| Coordinates | 37.86474, -90.59962 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Other |
| NID Height | 58 ft |
| Dam Height | 58 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,775 ft |
| Year Completed | 1925 (101 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,400 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,400 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,300 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 133 acres |
| Drainage Area | 3 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 500 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Uncontrolled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | THE DOE RUN COMPANY |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 06/09/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | MO30274 |
| Federal ID | MO30274 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |