Questions surround dam and levee failures when floods occur
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Questions surround dam and levee failures when floods occur

Date: March 19, 2008
By: Max Hyman
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: As flood waters rise, so do questions regarding the responsibility of dam and levee failures.

Max Hyman (HIGH-man) has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:0:47
OutCue: SOC

The US Army of Corps. of Engineers is responsible for securing levees and federally owned dams.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is responsible for regulating all dams above thirty-five feet.

But when a dam fails that is less than thirty-five feet, who is to blame for the damage?

Missouri Water Resources Director Ryan Mueller said the dams he helps to oversee have performed just fine.

Actuality:  MUELL2.WAV
Run Time: 00:14
Description: The dams we've seen today and in the last couple of days have all been in good shape. Typically if there was a problem dam from the dams that we inspect, we'd get a call from the dam owner and again, so far we haven't had a problem with the dams we inspect.
 
Mueller also said that it is unknown how many dams are unregulated because so many are privately owned.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Max Hyman, KMOX News.

Intro: As flood waters rise, so do questions regarding dam and levee reliability throughout the state.

Max Hyman (HIGH-man) has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:0:33
OutCue: SOC

The Department of Natural Resources and the US Army Corps of Engineers each say the structures they inspect have performed well to the new wave of floods.

But when asked about shorter dams in the state, the Missouri Water Resource Center's Ryan Mueller says no one is on the hook.

Actuality:  MUELL4.WAV
Run Time: 00:06
Description: 

Whose jurisdiction do those dams that are underneath thirty-five feet fall under?

No one currently regulates dams under thirty five feet.

Mueller also said it is unclear how many unregulated dams there are in the state as well as who gets the blame when they fail.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Max Hyman, KMOX News.