The new Technical Bulletin: Application of Dam Safety Guidelines to Mining Dams, complements the Dam Safety Guidelines re-published by CDA in 2013 by providing additional explanation of how the concepts described in the guidelines apply to mining dams. The Bulletin identifies some specific issues that should be considered during the design and safety evaluation of both tailings dams and water retention dams used in the mining industry. Available in hard copy only.
Geo-referenced water dam database, organized by region worldwide. An Excel file contains the database and legend. Notes, References, and a document on the importance of dams is also available.
This bulletin deals with: Location of dams, Site investigation, Design, Construction and operation, Closure and abandonment
CDA's Annual Conference is a national forum for dam owners and operators, engineers, geoscientists, regulators, and others. Share ideas and knowledge on management, maintenance and design of water dams and mining dams.
This report discusses general features of tailings dams and impoundments. The report provides an introduction for Federal land managers, permit writers, and the general public to the subject of tailings dams and impoundments, particularly with regard to their engineering features and their ability to mitigate or minimize adverse effects to the environment.
This manual has been prepared to help practitioners design and construct small earth dams in rural areas. The manual is designed specifically for engineers, technicians and extension workers involved in agriculture, commercial farmers and contractors all with some understanding of engineering and some experience of dams, irrigation and water supply involved in the siting, design and construction of small earth dams in the drier parts of the African continent. Such dams are suitable for supplying water to irrigation schemes, for rural and other water supplies (when properly treated) and for conservation measures.
While not specific to tailings, this webinar includes valuable knowledge for tailings engineers. This webinar provides a refresher for geotechnical and water resource engineers that are familiar with earth dam inspections. It also provides information to dam owners, operators and safety personnel that do or have inspections done by others concerning the key elements of the dams and outlet structures that should be observed and documented as part of an inspection.
While not specific to tailings, this webinar includes valuable knowledge for tailings engineers. The objectives of this on-demand seminar will be to identify the current status of existing dams and levees in the United States, to learn the basic fundamentals of performing a dam/levee safety inspection, to learn how to perform a dam safety analysis and assess risks to levee freeboard, and to identify various rehabilitation practices. Topics to be covered in this on-demand seminar will include a history of dams and levees, an overview of dam safety and levee criteria in the United States, identifying the consequences of failure, determining the safety of existing dams and levees, and developing techniques for rehabilitating aging dam and levee structures.
BC Chief Inspector of Mines - The Mount Polley tailings dam, owned by Imperial Metals, breached 4 August 2014, releasing its free pond water and a portion of the tailings into Polley Lake. The spill flooded Polley Lake, creating a plug at Hazeltine Creek, and continued into nearby Quesnel Lake and Cariboo River. The cause of the dam breach and subsequent tailings spill has been investigated with a final report published 31 January 2015, the Independent Expert Engineering Investigation and Review Panel assessment of the Mount Polley Tailings Storage Facility Breach.