Cornwall Tailings
Cornwall Tailings is a rockfill dam located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, built in 1961. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
About Cornwall Tailings
The primary purpose of Cornwall Tailings 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 Lebanon Valley Golf Club, Inc. (private). It impounds the Berhard Creek.
The dam stands 200 feet tall and stretches 3,800 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 60 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,880 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1961, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. 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 03/30/2021.
At 200 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Pennsylvania dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Lebanon |
| River/Stream | Berhard Creek |
| Coordinates | 40.27389, -76.38000 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Rockfill |
| NID Height | 200 ft |
| Dam Height | 200 ft |
| Dam Length | 3,800 ft |
| Year Completed | 1961 (65 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 3,880 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 3,880 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 3,213 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 60 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | LEBANON VALLEY GOLF CLUB, INC. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 03/30/2021 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | PA00597 |
| Federal ID | PA00597 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |