Grubstake Tailings Dam is an earth dam located in Sierra County, New Mexico, built in 1992. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 70 ft70 ft tall and 630 ft long, taller than 96% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a ten-story building, about 100 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Grubstake Tailings Dam
The primary purpose of Grubstake 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 Grantham, Alma (private). It impounds the Rio Grande - Tr.
The dam stands 70 feet tall and stretches 630 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 30 acre-feet. Completed in 1992, the structure is 34 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 poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. The most recent inspection on record was 04/19/2016. That was over 10 years ago.
At 70 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Sierra |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | Rio Grande - Tr |
| Coordinates | 32.94602, -107.26035 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 70 ft |
| Dam Height | 70 ft |
| Dam Length | 630 ft |
| Year Completed | 1992 (34 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 30 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 30 acre-ft |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Grantham, Alma |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 04/19/2016 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00544 |
| Federal ID | NM00544 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |