List of dam failures

A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or slows down the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundments. Most dams have a section called a "spillway or weir" over which, or through which, water flows, either intermittently or continuously, and many have hydroelectric power generation systems installed.

Dams are considered "installations containing dangerous forces" under International Humanitarian Law due to the massive impact of a possible destruction on the civilian population and the environment. Dam failures are comparatively rare, but can cause immense damage and loss of life when they arise.

Main causes of dam failure

Common causes of dam failure include::* Spillway design error (South Fork Dam):* Geological instability caused by changes to water levels during filling or poor surveying (Malpasset). :* Sliding of a mountain into the dam lake; in the case of Vajont Dam, filling the reservoir caused geological failure in valley wall leading to 110 km/h landslide into the lake, water escaped in a megatsunami. Strictly this could not be classified as a dam failure, since the dam structure didn't collapse at all and is still standing. :* Poor maintenance, especially of outlet pipes (Lawn Lake Dam, Val di Stava Dam collapse):* Extreme rainfall (Shakidor Dam):* Human, computer or design error (Buffalo Creek Flood, Dale Dike Reservoir, Taum Sauk pumped storage plant)

Deliberate dam failure

A notable case of deliberate dam failure (prior to the Humanitarian Law rulings) was the British Royal Air Force Dambusters raid on Germany in World War II (codenamed "Operation Chastise"), in which three German dams were selected to be breached in order to impact on German infrastructure and manufacturing and power capabilities deriving from the Ruhr and Eder rivers. This raid later became the basis for several films.

List of dam failures

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