Mill 5/6 Center Tailings Storage Facility

About Mill 5/6 Center Tailings Storage Facility

The primary purpose of Mill 5/6 Center Tailings Storage Facility 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 Nevada Gold Mines Llc (private). It impounds the Maggie Creek-os near Carlin.

The dam stands 300 feet tall and stretches 18,700 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 470 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 85,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1991, the structure is 35 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. 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 10/06/2022.

At 300 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.

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