Eveleth Taconite Tailings dam
Eveleth Taconite Tailings
Eveleth Taconite Tailings, located in Forbes, Minnesota, is a significant earth dam completed in 1978 with a height of 50 feet and a length of 21,000 feet. Owned privately, this tailings structure is regulated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and is subject to state inspections and enforcement. The dam serves the primary purpose of tailings storage, with a storage capacity of 2,419 acre-feet and a drainage area of 0.9 square miles.
The Eveleth Taconite Tailings dam, situated along the St. Louis River, falls under the jurisdiction of the St. Paul District. It has a noteworthy hazard potential and is classified as significant, although its condition assessment in 2013 deemed it satisfactory. With a designated inspection frequency of 4 years, the dam's last inspection was conducted in August 2017. While the structure meets guidelines for emergency action plans, specific details on risk assessment, inundation maps, and risk management measures are not readily available.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Eveleth Taconite Tailings represents an essential infrastructure in managing tailings materials in the mining process. Its design by D'APPOLONIA and location in St. Louis County, Minnesota, play a crucial role in environmental conservation and water resource management. With a focus on safety and regulatory compliance, this dam exemplifies the intricate balance between industrial operations and environmental stewardship in the region.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Eveleth Taconite Tailings -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie River Near Taconite | 177 cfs | → |
| St. Louis River At Scanlon | 2,290 cfs | → |
| Knife River Near Two Harbors | 31 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River At Grand Rapids | 555 cfs | → |
| South Kawishiwi R Abv White Iron Lake Nr Ely | 1,850 cfs | → |
| South Kawishiwi River Near Ely | 1,230 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Eveleth Taconite Tailings.
Boat launches
- Miller Trunk Road Saint Louis County
- Ore-Be-Gone Drive Gilbert
- North 9th Avenue West Virginia
- Mesabi Trail , Buhl
- 6th Street Northeast , Chisholm
Campgrounds
- Sherwood Forest Campground
- Sherwood Forest City Campground
- West Two River
- Buhl Rv Park
- Stubler Beach Campgrounds
- Stubler Beach
Fishing spots
Track Eveleth Taconite Tailings in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Eveleth Taconite Tailings
Where does the data for Eveleth Taconite Tailings come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the Significant hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Eveleth Taconite Tailings.