Jerritt Canyon Tailings Dam is an earth dam located in Elko County, Nevada, built in 1981. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 162 ft162 ft tall and 14,000 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 Jerritt Canyon Tailings Dam
The primary purpose of Jerritt Canyon 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 Jerritt Canyon Gold LLC (private). It impounds the North Fork Humboldt River-os near Ryndon.
The dam stands 162 feet tall and stretches 14,000 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 300 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 24,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1981, the structure is 45 years old.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/02/2022.
At 162 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Nevada |
| County | Elko |
| Nearest City | Ryndon |
| River/Stream | North Fork Humboldt River-os |
| Coordinates | 41.40250, -115.89190 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 162 ft |
| Dam Height | 147 ft |
| Dam Length | 14,000 ft |
| Year Completed | 1981 (45 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 24,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 24,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 21,500 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 300 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Spillway Type | None |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Jerritt Canyon Gold LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 08/02/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NV10194 |
| Federal ID | NV10194 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |