Related story from engineering geology class, Dr. James Baer, BYU - years ago - he explained the faults & related issues at the dam site (described in the video) were well known to geologists. For some reason Reclamation wasn't concerned. He warned Reclamation to no avail. One day during a field trip on the bus with his geology student, as I recall it was a Saturday, he heard on the radio there was a little leak BUT nothing to be concerned about. He said he knew it was all over. A while later he heard the same on the radio.
As a dam safety specialist in Nigeria, I have no doubt that, Reclamation is alive to its legacy vow but how long this commitment can sustainably defend reservoirs against antecedent failures without assured budget funding for innovative research in science, technology, incident monitoring and prompt interventions remains a matter of conjecture. Global climate change related catastrophes are on the assault scale. Therefore, US political will radar in dam sector should be scaled up.. Musa A. Egbunu
Film states (12:30), "...Reclamation did not shy away from investigating Teton. The first reaction was 'We've got to find out what went wrong." What went wrong is explained in the film is incredibly bad engineering with respect to existing geologic conditions. The film blames this on USGS.
You guys nearly lost Fontalelle in '1964, and Glen Canyon in '83. I have to wonder just how much "genuine change" BoR has undertaken over the years. This film presents things in the best possible light, and seem to be little more than a propaganda piece.
Related story from engineering geology class, Dr. James Baer, BYU - years ago - he explained the faults & related issues at the dam site (described in the video) were well known to geologists. For some reason Reclamation wasn't concerned. He warned Reclamation to no avail. One day during a field trip on the bus with his geology student, as I recall it was a Saturday, he heard on the radio there was a little leak BUT nothing to be concerned about. He said he knew it was all over. A while later he heard the same on the radio.
As a dam safety specialist in Nigeria, I have no doubt that, Reclamation is alive to its legacy vow but how long this commitment can sustainably defend reservoirs against antecedent failures without assured budget funding for innovative research in science, technology, incident monitoring and prompt interventions remains a matter of conjecture. Global climate change related catastrophes are on the assault scale. Therefore, US political will radar in dam sector should be scaled up.. Musa A. Egbunu
interesting documentary here.
Film states (12:30), "...Reclamation did not shy away from investigating Teton. The first reaction was 'We've got to find out what went wrong." What went wrong is explained in the film is incredibly bad engineering with respect to existing geologic conditions. The film blames this on USGS.
+john zimmerman If course they're going to blame the _other_ gov't agency...
You guys nearly lost Fontalelle in '1964, and Glen Canyon in '83. I have to wonder just how much "genuine change" BoR has undertaken over the years. This film presents things in the best possible light, and seem to be little more than a propaganda piece.