Comings and Goings
50 Years Since the Teton Dam Failure
Fifty years after the catastrophic failure of Teton Dam, the case remains essential reading for lessons involving geology, seepage, filters, and dam safety. […]
USBR
Available Resources
USBR Best Practices and Risk Methodology for Dams
I was recently made aware of an excellent reference from the US Bureau of Reclamation regarding best practices and risk methodology for assessing dams. This is a reference manual to accompany a course offering, but […]
Available Resources
USBR Selects 23 Projects Totaling $5.2 Million to Build Drought Resiliency in Nine States
From the USBR Press Release: Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Estevan López has announced the selection of 23 projects to receive grants totaling $5.2 million for proactive drought planning and other efforts to build long-term drought […]
Regional
New Dams Being Considered to Handle West’s Water Needs
An article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer discusses how the era of building massive dams that ended in the late 1960s with the completion of Glen Canyon Dam may be on its way to a resurgence because of booming populations throughout the west and a desperate need for water. This comes at a time when the USBR and other agencies are in the process of tearing down some dams. Of course the environmental hurdles and opposition to new dam projects will likely kill many of the projects before they get started. But in the absence of any kind of limits on population growth, there may not be many other options. Read on to see where major dam projects are being considered. (Photo by Molas)