Centralia Coal Mine Dam No 3c South
Centralia Coal Mine Dam No 3c South is an earth dam located in Lewis County, Washington, built in 1987. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Centralia Coal Mine Dam No 3c South
The primary purpose of Centralia Coal Mine Dam No 3c South 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 Transalta Centralia Mining Llc (public utility). It impounds the Tr-packwood Creek-offstream near Centralia.
The dam stands 69 feet tall and stretches 1,283 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 72 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 9,600 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 0 square miles. Completed in 1987, the structure is 39 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 satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 08/27/2020.
At 69 feet, this dam is taller than 96% of all dams in the United States.
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Location
| State | Washington |
| County | Lewis |
| Nearest City | Centralia |
| River/Stream | Tr-packwood Creek-offstream |
| Coordinates | 46.73673, -122.83473 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 69 ft |
| Dam Length | 1,283 ft |
| Year Completed | 1987 (39 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 9,600 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 9,600 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 6,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 72 acres |
| Drainage Area | 0 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 150 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | TransAlta Centralia Mining LLC |
| Owner Type | Public Utility |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 08/27/2020 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WA00529 |
| Federal ID | WA00529 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |