Failing Minnesota dam calls attention to others in same poor condition
The partial failure of Minnesota’s Rapidan Dam sheds light on the almost 4,100 dams in the U.S. that are categorized at the same risk level and condition – or worse.
The partial failure of Minnesota’s 114-year-old Rapidan Dam highlights risks that many communities face as the number of dams in disrepair rises and climate change makes rainfall more frequent and severe.
Before the breach, which led floodwaters to carve away at the bank of the Blue Earth River and swallow a waterside home, local leaders in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, had been contemplating whether to tear down the old structure or perform costly long-term repairs. Regulators considered the dam a “significant” hazard, and it was graded as in “poor” condition as of April 2023, according to the National Inventory of Dams.
Almost 4,100 dams are categorized at the same risk level and condition — or worse — according to an NBC News analysis of the inventory’s data. Every state has at least one such dam. Ohio has the most at 373.
As a whole, America’s dams — more than 91,000 in total — are aging. Many need expensive rehabilitation. Few were designed for today’s climate, with a warmer atmosphere that can hold — and dump — more water. The number of people living in inundation zones below these dams continues to grow.
Rating: 5