Washington hydro dam failure?

A massive crack in a major Columbia River dam poses enough of a risk of dam failure that Grant County authorities have activated an emergency-response plan.

Officials said there is no threat to the public from the crack in the Wanapum Dam, which is just down stream from where Interstate 90 crosses the river, but the water level will be lowered 20 feet as a precaution.

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not good. this may eventually raise Douglas County rates above 3 cents per kwh!

There are a few empty bays at this dam, and literally the dam is anchored with steel cables in the forebay bottom. I wonder if one of those bays started to give up.

Potential failure? Sounds like it's already failed!

This is not good. Not good at all. :?

With the huge salmon run predicted this fall, I wonder if after the drawdown the fish ladder will work. This isn't going to be an easy fix and a lot of water is on its way from the Pineapple Express and the warm winds that accompany it that will like melt a lot of the new snowpack. This is not a movie disaster, but is a major problem.

I'll probably have a few wrinkles and cracks too after 55 years!

Actually, 55 years old is barely adolescence for a dam...

DarkStar said:

I'll probably have a few wrinkles and cracks too after 55 years!

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TomT said:

Actually, 55 years old is barely adolescence for a dam...

DarkStar said:

I'll probably have a few wrinkles and cracks too after 55 years!

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so your calling it a temper tantrum instead of a mid life crisis?

Yep! :lol:

Case in point: Boulder dam will not even finish concrete curing internally for another 100 years or so...

palmermd said:

TomT said:

Actually, 55 years old is barely adolescence for a dam...

DarkStar said:

I'll probably have a few wrinkles and cracks too after 55 years!

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so your calling it a temper tantrum instead of a mid life crisis?

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Here in Oregon, if a school or government is older than 50, you can bet it's heading for the wrecking ball...

Turnover said:

With the huge salmon run predicted this fall, I wonder if after the drawdown the fish ladder will work. This isn't going to be an easy fix and a lot of water is on its way from the Pineapple Express and the warm winds that accompany it that will like melt a lot of the new snowpack. This is not a movie disaster, but is a major problem.

Click to expand...

dont think drawdown is the problem. its the higher water levels downstream where most of the spawning grounds lie. Salmon wont spawn unless they can find isolated pools of water during what is supposed to be Summer and the dry season when there is barely any water flowing. The issues should be well resolved by them but we have had a lot of snow which means this could be a tough balancing act thru out the early Summer and late Spring.