The Wild Story of the Taum Sauk Dam Failure

Summary by Krater

This video examines the 2005 failure of the upper reservoir at the Taum Sauk pumped-storage power station in Missouri, detailing the engineering oversights, design flaws, and subsequent redesign.

From the video

Answers: What caused the Taum Sauk dam breach?

• pumped-storage hydroelectricity
• dam safety and engineering
• rockfill embankment dams
• geomembrane liners
• sensor level control systems

What it concludes

• The Taum Sauk upper reservoir failed due to unconsidered settlement in a rockfill embankment composed of weathered rhyolite and soil.
• Unattached sensors inside the geomembrane liner failed to read the correct water level, leading to an overfilling of the reservoir.
• The lack of a spillway on the off-channel reservoir meant there was no safe way to release excess water during overtopping events.
• The FERC fined the owner 15 million dollars for the failure, and the state of Missouri reached a 177 million dollar settlement.
• The rebuilt dam uses roller-compacted concrete and includes a spillway to ensure safety against future overtopping.