Sauntry Creek Settling dam
Sauntry Creek Settling
Sauntry Creek Settling, located in St. Louis County, Minnesota, is a privately owned earth dam completed in 1977 for the primary purpose of tailings storage. With a height of 32 feet and a length of 600 feet, this dam has a storage capacity of 1,500 acre-feet and covers a surface area of 58 acres. Sauntry Creek serves as the water source for the dam and has a drainage area of 0.27 square miles.
Despite being categorized as a low hazard potential structure with a fair condition assessment, Sauntry Creek Settling is regulated, permitted, inspected, and enforced by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Environmental and Water Resources division. The last inspection took place in August 2013, with a frequency of every 8 years. The surrounding area is under the jurisdiction of state regulatory agencies, ensuring compliance with safety and environmental standards.
For water resource and climate enthusiasts, Sauntry Creek Settling presents an interesting case study in dam management and environmental stewardship. The dam's role in tailings storage highlights the intersection of water resource utilization and industrial activities, while its state-regulated status underscores the importance of maintaining infrastructure integrity and safety in the face of changing climate conditions. As we continue to navigate the challenges of water resource management in a warming world, structures like Sauntry Creek Settling serve as important touchstones for understanding the evolving relationship between water, climate, and human development.
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 Sauntry Creek Settling -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| South Kawishiwi R Abv White Iron Lake Nr Ely | 1,650 cfs | → |
| South Kawishiwi River Near Ely | 1,330 cfs | → |
| Prairie River Near Taconite | 187 cfs | → |
| Vermilion River Nr Crane Lake | 1,070 cfs | → |
| Kawishiwi River Near Ely | 922 cfs | → |
| Mississippi River At Grand Rapids | 550 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Sauntry Creek Settling.
Boat launches
- North 9th Avenue West Virginia
- Ore-Be-Gone Drive Gilbert
- Mesabi Trail Biwabik
- Miller Trunk Road Saint Louis County
- Mesabi Trail , Buhl
- 6th Street Northeast , Chisholm
Campgrounds
- Sherwood Forest City Campground
- Sherwood Forest Campground
- Vermilion Trail Park Campground
- Vermilion Trail
- West Two River
- Big Rice Lake
Fishing spots
Track Sauntry Creek Settling 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 Sauntry Creek Settling
Where does the data for Sauntry Creek Settling 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 Low 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 Sauntry Creek Settling.