The dam infrastructure problem

New report says over 1,800 dams pose significant risk to human life. Fixing them will cost billions, but can we afford this in addition to roads, bridges and other projects?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Kentucky’s Wolf Creek dam has been a hazard for years.

Some 150 miles northwest of Nashville, the 270-foot high, 1950s era dam on the Cumberland River has been leaking for decades.

The problem seems to have gotten worse in recent years. The dam poses such a threat that in 2008 counties down river installed emergency evacuation horns.

Although the Army Corps of Engineers is working aggressively to fix the problem and says the dam should be stable in seven years, the consequences of a breach are huge. The pent-up water in Cumberland Lake would spread over over 200 miles – flooding Nashville. The Corps estimates over 100 lives could be lost, and cause over $3 billion in property damage.

It’s against this backdrop that the American Society of Civil Engineers recently said over 1,800 dams nationwide are deficient, and their failure could result in loss of life. That’s almost a five-fold increase from 2001.

CNNMoney.com