Banner Mill Tailings Dam
Banner Mill Tailings Dam is a rockfill dam located in Hidalgo County, New Mexico, built in 2010. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Banner Mill Tailings Dam
The primary purpose of Banner Mill 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 Pyramid Peak Mining, Llc (private). It impounds the Banner Canyon near Unincorporated Resident Downstream.
The dam stands 44 feet tall and stretches 300 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 66 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 2010, the structure is relatively new.
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 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 05/22/2018.
At 44 feet, this dam is taller than 90% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | New Mexico |
| County | Hidalgo |
| Nearest City | Unincorporated Resident Downstream |
| River/Stream | Banner Canyon |
| Coordinates | 32.29990, -108.76600 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 44 ft |
| Dam Height | 38 ft |
| Dam Length | 300 ft |
| Year Completed | 2010 (16 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 66 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 66 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 58 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,475 cfs |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | PYRAMID PEAK MINING, LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 05/22/2018 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NM00670 |
| Federal ID | NM00670 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |