Teton Dam Failure Site, Idaho

The Teton Dam, a brand new 305-foot high earthen dam which stretched across the Teton River in Madison County, Idaho, broke in 1976, flooding the downstream towns of Rexburg, Wilford, Sugar City, Salem and Hibbard. The Bureau of Reclamation built the dam in 1975 citing the need, ironically, for flood control. Over the next several months the reservoir rapidly filled to capacity, with a maximum depth of 240 feet. When full capacity was almost reached, the dam broke. Seepage was reported and inspected the day before the failure, and work crews attempted to fill growing breaks in the dam minutes before it gave out, fleeing on foot as the widening gap swallowed their bulldozers. When the full collapse came, the flood downstream killed at least 11 people (more were said to have died from heart attacks related to the flood), and destroyed thousands of buildings. The town of Rexburg, 12 miles from the dam (population 10,000), was as much as 80% destroyed. Nearly half a billion dollars in claims were levied against the Bureau of Reclamation. Though the affected area was large, the water spread out quickly on the flat floodplain, dissipating the force of the water. By the time the Claims Program ended in 1987, the federal government had paid out $322 million worth of claims.

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