We have dams created to help us provide water to areas that need it and to hold water back from certain places that do not. These dams which are all over the country are relatively safe and provide a much needed service. It is only when the dams are allowed to become unstable that there is a potential risk of great damage to the areas that they are close to.
Many of the old dams that hold back water around the country have been in place for many years. The costs for repairing these older dams and the amount if time it will take to get the repairs done are causing water levels to have to be lowered in many areas to ensure the safety of nearby residents and property. This affects many water areas where people fish, boat, and swim.
One such place is Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. It is thought that the amount of dollars that is usually brought in from tourists visiting the area will be reduced by millions due to the lower water levels. The potential risk for catastrophic flooding that could be caused by the failure of Wolf Creek dam on Lake Cumberland is thought to be more than last year. The lowering of water levels is something that had to be done.
There are an estimated seventy five thousand dams in the United States many of them are old and in need of repairs. Although they are inspected regularly, there is always a threat from dams if they break. One of the most devastating dam breaks was in 1889 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It killed over two thousand people when heavy rainfall caused it to fail.
Whatever the risk of flooding from dams might be, they actually provide many good services. They provide water for people in need of it, they help with power and industry, and provide better areas for tourists to use for recreational activities such as that of Lake Cumberland in Kentucky. It could be said for real that we are dammed if we do and dammed if we do not.
If your home is near a dam that has been determined to be in need of repairs, stay informed and active in what is being done to rectify the situation. After all it is your home that is in potential danger and you will want to know what if anything you can do in the face of the worst possible scenario, which is if the dam were to break. |
