Michigan Dam Failure

[jheidt2543]

This Sunday's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (June 8, 2003) has a front page article on the dam failure of May 15, 2003, at the Silver Lake Basin reservoir near Marquette, MI. If you didn't see the paper you can look on their website,

http://www.jsonline.com.

The dam and reservoir was built around 1911 and has never had a failure in its 92 year history. Then, last year, the reservoir dike was remodeled to put a "fuse plug" into it as a relief valve in case the dam should be in danger of over topping. The remodeling was ordered by the federal government. On May 15, this year, during a "normal" rain storm the fuse plug let go and drained the 8 billion-gallon reservoir. The damage estimates are in the $102 million dollar range. The remodeling was designed by an independant consultant, reviewed by both the federal government and the dam's owner, Wisconsin Public Service Power Company. It is quite the story and it will be interesting to see what they find as the cause.

Does this prove the old saying, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it"?

 

[kenvlach]

Thanks jheidt. The story is at

http://www.jsonline.com/news/State/jun03/146696.asp

Interesting how the lawsuits will divy up blame between the FERC (the Feds), Upper Peninsula Power, the engineering firm, and the contractor. Fingerpointing and CYA assessments have already started:

"Upper Peninsula Power officials say Federal Energy Regulatory Commission engineers were regularly on site to inspect the work. They said the commission certified the completed project."

"Upper Peninsula Power has hired two firms to conduct separate reviews. The engineering firm hired to design the dike has a team evaluating the causes behind the collapse. The federal commission has its own team of engineers looking at the disaster, and it has hired an independent team to do a review."

Re "If it isn't broke, don't fix it"?
Curiously, an unfixed dam also failed nearby: "a second, city-owned reservoir inside Marquette city limits that collapsed the day of the flood."

 

[jheidt2543]

kenvlach,

Maybe I misunderstood, but I thought the second failure was caused by the flood from the first dam failure. Also, some of the eyewitness testimony claims the Silver Lake Basin reservoir dam, the first one, was nowhere near overtopping. It should be real interesting to find out what happened.

You are right, I'll bet the lawyers are lining up with bibs on to feast on this one!

 

[boo1]

More lawers than engineers in the US.

 

[kenvlach]

Not sure whether the 2nd failure was caused by the first -- thought the story would have mentioned if so. But rather large coincident if not. Went to mapquest.com & saw 2 possible reservoirs within Marquette city limits: a larger body of water on the Dead River & a smaller one to the south from some creeks.

Maybe the moral is: When Big Brother messes with Mother Nature, people get hurt.