Kennecott Smelter Tailings Pond is an earth dam located in Salt Lake County, Utah. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 154 ft154 ft tall and 5,800 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 Kennecott Smelter Tailings Pond
The primary purpose of Kennecott Smelter Tailings Pond 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 Kennecott Utah Copper, LLC (private). It impounds the Jordan River - Offstream near None - Drains to MUD.
The dam stands 154 feet tall and stretches 5,800 feet across, has a maximum storage capacity of 3,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 7 square miles.
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 07/11/2023.
At 154 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Utah |
| County | Salt Lake |
| Nearest City | None - Drains to MUD |
| River/Stream | Jordan River - Offstream |
| Coordinates | 40.77101, -112.13169 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 154 ft |
| Dam Length | 5,800 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 3,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 3,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 300 acre-ft |
| Drainage Area | 7 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Kennecott Utah Copper, LLC |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Last Inspection | 07/11/2023 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | UT00432 |
| Federal ID | UT00432 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |