Dam in Minnesota is in 'imminent failure condition"

[SC Maintenance]

110 year old dam. A 2021 survey said it should be fixed or replaced, but of course neither was done.


"The Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office said the river has cut around the sides of the dam and debris has been accumulating in the water. It announced the "imminent failure condition" status and notified those who may be impacted."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...t-failure-condition-officials-warn-rcna158645

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[I<3oil]

Ouch

 

[cptbarkey]

If that is a current video, I would say that has failed. I hope folks downstream can evac in time. I've watched quite a few aftermath YT videos (Plainly Difficult) which detailed them, and all of them were catastrophic.

 

[JustN89]

From the article, multiple flooding events over its 110 year history have damaged it over time. It also states that they have no current proposed design changes to protect it. It sounds like they have no idea what to do about it, so even if the funding was there to solve the problem, what do you spend the money on?

 

[2009Caraman]

That bridge is not long for this world.

 

[ctechbob]

If that is a current video, I would say that has failed. I hope folks downstream can evac in time. I've watched quite a few aftermath YT videos (Plainly Difficult) which detailed them, and all of them were catastrophic.

They're only expecting another 2 feet of river rise below the dam if it completely fails. No evacuation needed for that according to the local sheriff.

 

[tmorris1]

It has eroded farther over to the point that the house is now hanging off the edge of the river bank. Lots of flooding in this area. Not good.

 

[ctechbob]

It has eroded farther over to the point that the house is now hanging off the edge of the river bank. Lots of flooding in this area. Not good.

Yea, I think they might as well go ahead and start the paperwork on that house. It's not gonna make it.

 

[oldcodger]

Is it a power plant also?

 

[walterjay]

I am not an engineer, but I know that a little bit of maintenance could have prevented this. The buildup of logs and junk should have been removed before it became an issue. I live near to the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna river. There is always logs and junk coming down the river. They have a machine which continuously removes this junk and prevents the problem of buildup. They should have just kept it clean and they could have avoided the problem.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I am not an engineer, but I know that a little bit of maintenance could have prevented this. The buildup of logs and junk should have been removed before it became an issue. I live near to the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna river. There is always logs and junk coming down the river. They have a machine which continuously removes this junk and prevents the problem of buildup. They should have just kept it clean and they could have avoided the problem.

I believe the current log jam problem stems from flooding upstream.

But yes, many dams have a boom or chain across the river to stop them early where they can be removed.

 

[MrGraybeard]

From the article, multiple flooding events over its 110 year history have damaged it over time. It also states that they have no current proposed design changes to protect it. It sounds like they have no idea what to do about it, so even if the funding was there to solve the problem, what do you spend the money on?

In my nearby state, Wisconsin, derelict dams like this are being removed. The city of Milwaukee took a couple out on the Milwaukee River fairly recently for the good of the river.

 

[nomas]

Is it a power plant also?

It looked like it .
Edit .... No longer generating power due to a previous flood but the substation was still in service and was washed away .

 

[4WD]

I believe the current log jam problem stems from flooding upstream.

But yes, many dams have a boom or chain across the river to stop them early where they can be removed.

Like right past the bridge where a crane and trucks could pluck debris on a weekend etc …

 

[wavinwayne]

One article says the partial failure may have taken the pressure off the dam, preventing a larger collapse.

 

[LowMilesLesabre]

The Cimate Change that is resulting from global warming is increasingly observed and projected to result in increasing climate instability resulting in less average rain fall in some areas exacerbating levels of drought. At the same time, other areas are experiencing increasing rain fall levels, resulting in more severe flooding. I have conducted university research for insurance company mitigation projects to reduce flood damage in the housing sector, and the impacts of climate change on the insurance industry have been underway for sometime now. Their current predictions for underwriting exposure are a real concern given the role that insurance coverage plays in investor confidence when new development is being financed as just one example.

 

[alarmguy]

So far there is no evacuation order and just to stay informed in case one is needed.
Agree it looks nasty, makes great photos and press but it can’t be “imminent” if there is no evacuation order.
States -
"The dam in still intact and there are no current plans for a mass evacuation,"

 

[M56959]

Had to moderate this far too many times.