Willis Mt. Tailings Pond is an earth dam located in Buckingham County, Virginia. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 35 ft35 ft tall and 700 ft long, taller than 80% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Willis Mt. Tailings Pond
The primary purpose of Willis Mt. 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 Kyanite Mining Corp. (private).
The dam stands 35 feet tall and stretches 700 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 382 acre-feet.
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.
At 35 feet, this dam is taller than 80% of dams nationwide.
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Location
| State | Virginia |
| County | Buckingham |
| Nearest City | Hill Crest, Va. |
| Coordinates | 37.48833, -78.47056 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Height | 35 ft |
| Dam Length | 700 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 382 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 382 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Kyanite Mining Corp. |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | VA029045 |
| Federal ID | VA029045 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |