Inspection methods used to assess US dams have been questioned in the face of climate change, which has led to more frequent and intense flooding. READ MORE: The dams, which have an average age of 57 years, were built using a short history of hydrological data, while conditions and assumptions about what dams can tolerate have changed. In addition to the new study, researchers from Oregon State University published research on how dam failures affect water levels at Lake Mead that showed that even small changes in lake level could cause significant damage downstream.
Inspection methods used to assess US dams have been questioned in the face of climate change, which has led to more frequent and intense flooding. The dams, which have an average age of 57 years, were built using a short history of hydrological data, while conditions and assumptions about what dams can tolerate have changed. In addition to the new study, researchers from Oregon State University published research on how dam failures affect water levels at Lake Mead that showed that even small changes in lake level could cause significant damage downstream.