Phoenix Tailings Dam is an earth dam located in Lander County, Nevada, built in 1971. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 173 ft173 ft tall and 23,220 ft long, taller than 99% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against the Statue of Liberty, 305 ft ground to torch; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Phoenix Tailings Dam
The primary purpose of Phoenix Tailings Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Nevada Gold Mines LLC (private). It impounds the None.
The dam stands 173 feet tall and stretches 23,220 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 480 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 99,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1971, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/05/2019.
At 173 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Nevada |
| County | Lander |
| Nearest City | None |
| River/Stream | None |
| Coordinates | 40.48927, -117.13997 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 173 ft |
| Dam Height | 173 ft |
| Dam Length | 23,220 ft |
| Year Completed | 1971 (55 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 99,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 99,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 96,863 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 480 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Flood Risk Reduction |
| Owner | Nevada Gold Mines LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 06/05/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NV00131 |
| Federal ID | NV00131 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |