To explore the safety of dam in future operation, we study the stability of Xiaodae tailing dam, Sichuan Province, P. R. China, via model testing and numerical simulation according to preliminary dam design information. The results show that the deposited beach length initially is shorter and the depth of the saturation line in a tailing dam is relative shallow. The length of deposited beach is relatively long in the middle and later periods, and the saturation line maintains a relatively stable position. The numerical simulation shows that horizontal dam displacement is 0.68 m and the greatest vertical displacement is 3.44 m at the dam vertices when the dam reaches the designed elevation. Meanwhile, the dam possesses normal stability. The largest shear stress in flooding exceeds that of normal conditions and the dam saturation line is higher. Unless measures are taken, these conditions will influence dam security.