The Teton Dam Breaking In Idaho Research Paper

THE TETON DAM BREAKING IN IDAHO
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Background Information
The Teton dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation an agency of the federal government with the mandate to make such constructions. The construction works began in 1972 and it was opened in 1974. The main aim for building the dam was to have controlled flow of water during spring runoff while ensuring that the residents of Idaho have constant supply of water during summer (Perrow, 2011). The dam was built across the River of Teton, located in Madison County. In 1976, however, something catastrophic happened (Lewis, 2013). The dam which was estimated to be slightly over 305 feet high broke and all the contents in the reservoir were let free. It is said by those who were first to witness the break that there was a huge leak on the northern side of the dam. It was surprising because the dam was fairly new, having just been recently completed and the filling process was being done for the first time. This paper has focused on the events that took place during the Teton Dam Break and the consequences that followed.
What was the cause of the Break?
Standing tall at 305 feet, the dam was seen as a huge milestone mainly for the farmers in the area (Anderson, 2014). The very nature of the construction was believed to be very strong and leakage of any kind was not anticipated. The flow of Rover Teton as unpredictable so that there are years when there was flood and others suffered severe drought. With the dam, it meant that the flow would now be regulated and that there would be constant supply for water (McDonald, 2010).
Although the structure was strong, some geologists had opposed the construction of the dam citing inability of the area to withstand the dam. This is because the rocks found in the area were porous. However, despite these concerns, the federal agency still certified the area as suitable.
The year that dam broke had experienced unusually heavy rainfall. This saw the volumes of the dam rise to the very top. Ordinarily, it would take the dam about three season of rainfall for the water levels to rise to the top. By the time the levels rose, the outlet tubes were not functional as yet leading to bursting of the walls (Chanson, 2012). The danger signs had been seen a few days prior to the break and some reinforcement brought. However, as it would turn out, it was too late as the break had already begun.
One morning, at approximately a few minutes to midday, the crest of the water body collapsed and all the contents were thrown out. The aftermath that followed left devastating harrowing stories of sadness (Feld, 2012). Dozens of families living around the dam were rendered homeless in matter of minutes. The farms and the crops therein were destroyed with a community left with nothing to hope for.
The catastrophe claimed 11 people and a total 13,000 in livestock. Thousands of others were left devastated, forced to start from scratch. This is one of the catastrophes that is classified as a manmade one. If only the concerns of the g...