Unimin Woodward Tract Dam

About Unimin Woodward Tract Dam

The primary purpose of Unimin Woodward Tract 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 Covia Solutions, Inc. (private). It impounds the Clay Branch.

The dam stands 32 feet tall, creates a reservoir covering 98 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,254 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1990, the structure is 36 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. 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 03/31/2017.

At 32 feet, this dam is taller than 76% of dams nationwide.

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