Lithium Lagoon D Dam is an earth dam located in Gaston County, North Carolina. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 40 ft40 ft tall, 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 Lithium Lagoon D Dam
The primary purpose of Lithium Lagoon D 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 Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (private). It impounds the Long Creek near Gastonia.
The dam stands 40 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 20 acres, and has a maximum storage capacity of 330 acre-feet.
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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 04/02/2025.
At 40 feet, this dam is taller than 86% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Gaston |
| Nearest City | Gastonia |
| River/Stream | Long Creek |
| Coordinates | 35.34440, -81.30710 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 40 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 330 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 330 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 20 acres |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 04/02/2025 |
| Emergency Action Plan | No |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NC01671 |
| Federal ID | NC01671 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |