Esmeralda Project Tails Dam

About Esmeralda Project Tails Dam

The primary purpose of Esmeralda Project Tails 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 Klondex Aurora Mine Inc (private). It impounds the Bodie Creek-tr near Yerington.

The dam stands 93 feet tall and stretches 3,158 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 32 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 610 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1990, the structure is 36 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. The most recent inspection on record was 08/10/2022.

At 93 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

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