This includes internal erosion caused by seepage, seepage and erosion along hydraulic structures, leakage through animal burrows, and cracks in the dam. On average, Washington state experiences a dam failure approximately once every two years. The majority of these failures are in whole or in part the result of a failure to perform adequate maintenance and monitoring of the facilities. The remaining 857 dams are solely maintained by the Wasghington State Department of Ecology. Effects Loss of life and damage to structures, roads, utilities and crops may result from a dam failure.
Economic losses can also result from a lowered tax base and lack of utility profits.
These effects would certainly accompany the failure of one of the major dams in Washington state. Three of Washington state s major dams are described below and the effects its failure would have on surrounding communities. This information is based on studies that assume a complete dam failure that occurs quickly. In an actual emergency, however, other failures or partial failures could occur. The dam project consists of an earthfill dam, a storage reservoir, a pipeline from the reservoir to a regulating basin about five miles downstream, and another pipeline from the regulating basin to Lake Forest Reservoir.