Missouri River Expert Dr. Bernard Shanks | The US Army Corps of Engineers failed - Plains Daily

BISMARCK, ND – “We cannot ignore the hazard that these dams present for the people up and down the Missouri River,” river management expert Dr. Bernard Shanks, told guest host Rob Port on the Scott Hennen Radio Show this past Friday.

“They have failed at flood control this year, and they have failed, I think, through management, but there is also the risk that they will fail because of the infrastructure failing,” Shanks told Port. “It is time to think about what we should do with these big, old dams.” Shanks has publicly stated that he believes the dams have never been more at risk than they are today.

“God help us that they don’t fail this year, but if they don’t, we shouldn’t turn around, say well, they’re ok,” Shanks said. “They will fail sooner or later unless we redevelop them.”

The Corps has safety plans and inspections for each separate dam. However, after decades of research on the Missouri system, Shanks stated that he has never seen a contingency plan in case of Fort Peck Dam failing. Fort Peck was the largest hydraulic-fill dam ever built in the world.

Many have been asking why the Corps did not begin releasing water earlier in the season. “I was flabbergasted in May that the water levels were so high,” Shanks told Port, noting that the large snow pack is something the Corps knew about as it grew over the winter.

“My best guess is that they kept water in the Missouri River this spring to protect the lower Mississippi,” Shanks continued. “I think they essentially sacrificed the Dakotas for Louisiana and the lower Mississippi River valleys,” which experienced record flooding earlier this spring.

“The Corps is having a lot of problems and gets a lot of political pressure from all sides,” Shanks explained, “but they are never entirely candid about why they do things.”

When the dams were completed under the Flood Control Act of 1944, the Corps proudly proclaimed it had tamed the Mighty Mo and gave the go ahead for communities to develop along the banks.

In its entire history, Garrison Dam has never had all of its gates and spillways opened simultaneously, as they were opened up June 1. On Friday, June 17, the Corps plans to increase the volume being released from Garrison to 150 cfs and maintain that level of release with all spillways open through mid-August.

“That opens up high pressure on the dams, and puts them at more risk than they have ever been,” said Shanks. “As dams gets old, they are more subject to breaking down,” and the Fort Peck Dam is particularly at risk.

The Fort Peck Dam in Montana is a hydraulic-fill dam, a popular method for building in the 1930’s which has been highly criticized in recent years and outlawed in California.

“A hydraulic-fill dam is essentially built with muddy water,” Shanks told listeners, explaining that water is pumped in at high pressures, and as the dirt settles, it raises up the walls of the dike. The process leaves moisture within the heart of the dam, making it vulnerable to liquefaction and sudden failure.

Interestingly, despite knowledge of the risks involved, the same type of dam has been proposed for the Fargo flood diversion project.

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