A dam is a potentially lethal weapon. After one builds a dam, one has to continue to maintain the dam. Dams do not last forever, they sometimes need to be replaced early.
Right now, in California, officials are worried about the small possibility of complete failure of the Oroville dam. The latest news is that 200,000 people have been ordered to evacuate.
How did it come to this?
Unfortunately, in California, we have voters who object to paying taxes, and voters who want environmental perfection in any new energy expenditure. This makes it fairly easy to stop necessary funding for maintenance and/or repair of already built systems.
California is not the only US state to have a dam that needs replacement or repair. A dam in Nevada has already failed.
I believe it is time to have the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers inspect every dam in the US, starting with known problems, and with dams where the failure threatens people. I am fairly certain that the POSTUS** has the authority to order such inspections.***
After the Corps inspects, then our 45th president can introduce emergency legislation to fund necessary repairs or replacement.
These dams provide flood control, generate electricity without using fossil fuels, and provide recreation. We often forget that major roads are located along the tops of dams.
It would be fun to be Dumbledore, and have a spell called DAM FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION. Then 200,000 people could go home tonight.
* Damn is the special word used when you ask God "to damn someone to Hell." It is considered to be impolite to use this phrase. Dam is the construction that stops up a river.
** President of the United States.
*** The federal government has authority over any moving body of water that is large enough to float a log down the waterway.
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