Leer Slurry Cell is an other dam located in Taylor County, West Virginia. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
Dam profile
NID height · 250 ft250 ft tall and 4,100 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 Leer Slurry Cell
The primary purpose of Leer Slurry Cell 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 Arch Coal (private).
The dam stands 250 feet tall and stretches 4,100 feet across, and has a maximum storage capacity of 8,540 acre-feet.
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. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam.
At 250 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 West Virginia 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 | West Virginia |
| County | Taylor |
| Nearest City | Grafton, Wv |
| Coordinates | 39.32667, -79.96833 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Other |
| NID Height | 250 ft |
| Dam Height | 250 ft |
| Dam Length | 4,100 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 8,540 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 8,540 acre-ft |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Tailings |
| Owner | Arch Coal |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not assessed |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | WV09109 |
| Federal ID | WV09109 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |