I am currently President of the Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA). We exist to protect the entire watershed, but as all water eventually makes its way to the Musconetcong River, the river is our central focus. One of things we do is remove dams along the river to restore the ecological balance of the river. Dam removal is not without controversy, so the decision to remove a dam must be based on a thorough analysis of the pros & cons and lots of dialogue with all interested parties. The MWA has removed four dams to date with another slated to begin in June. You would be amazed at the number of stakeholders and permits required. Every dam is unique and we face new issues not previously encountered with every project.
But I’m thinking about dams for a different reason today. I read a chilling story about the Mosul Dam in Iraq, built in 1984 to supply hydroelectric power. The US Army Corps of Engineers just released a report saying that the dam is at “significantly higher risk” of failing than previously thought. Right after the dam was completed, to the tune of $1.5 billion, structural problems became evident. They have been compensating for that with a rigorous daily routine of pouring grout into the structure. When the Islamic State took control of the dam for six weeks, no grout was poured. Adding more stress on the dam, the government put additional pressure on the dam by depriving Mosul of electricity while under IS rule.
If Mosul Dam were to fail, an estimated half a million people would drown in flooding. What a humanitarian nightmare that would be. The biggest known dam failure in history was in China in 1975. The Banqiao Reservoir Dam failed during a 2,000-year rain event, killing almost a quarter of a million people. I graduated high school that year, yet remember nothing of this. We are so self-absorbed at age 17, aren’t we? Or also possibly, the news we heard in those days was not very global and China was not very important to us back then. Engineers build some amazing marvels that advance the world. I hope that science trumps politics in Iraq and this particular disaster is averted.
But I’m thinking about dams for a different reason today. I read a chilling story about the Mosul Dam in Iraq, built in 1984 to supply hydroelectric power. The US Army Corps of Engineers just released a report saying that the dam is at “significantly higher risk” of failing than previously thought. Right after the dam was completed, to the tune of $1.5 billion, structural problems became evident. They have been compensating for that with a rigorous daily routine of pouring grout into the structure. When the Islamic State took control of the dam for six weeks, no grout was poured. Adding more stress on the dam, the government put additional pressure on the dam by depriving Mosul of electricity while under IS rule.
If Mosul Dam were to fail, an estimated half a million people would drown in flooding. What a humanitarian nightmare that would be. The biggest known dam failure in history was in China in 1975. The Banqiao Reservoir Dam failed during a 2,000-year rain event, killing almost a quarter of a million people. I graduated high school that year, yet remember nothing of this. We are so self-absorbed at age 17, aren’t we? Or also possibly, the news we heard in those days was not very global and China was not very important to us back then. Engineers build some amazing marvels that advance the world. I hope that science trumps politics in Iraq and this particular disaster is averted.