Dam problems

Illustration: Ingvard Ashby


Oklahoma’s got at least 1,400 problems, and dams are all of them. Out of Oklahoma’s 2,107 flood-control dams, that is the number currently past their dam 50-year life expectancy.

Larry Caldwell, an Oklahoma Conservation Commission watershed specialist, told StateImpact that the heavy rain in May would have caused “$16.5 million worth of damages” if the dams did not exist. Caldwell also said two-thirds of the dams managed by Conservation Commission were at or exceeded their “50-year design life,” at which point soil can erode and pipes could burst, posing a dam threat to people downstream.

Oklahoma Water Resources Board labeled about 400 flood control dams as “high hazard,” which means residents could die if they fail. Another 200, considered “significant hazard,” would cause millions of dollars in damages, according to StateImpact.

We clearly need a dam solution, and we need it fast. The state’s 2020 budget included $1.5 million for dam improvement, and the state sold about $5 million in bonds on behalf of Conservation Commission. But Caldwell estimates it would take about $2 million per dam to meet current standards. That is a lot of dam money needed in a state where elected officials historically disregard the environment.

Read more: https://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/chicken-fried-news-dam-problems/Content?oid=6352570