Dams

Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a report on the state of America's infrastructure, extensively cited by the media. This year's report, released March 9, shows no improvement over 2013's, but do check the subcategories

March 10, 2017 - American Society Of Civil Engineers

It's not just Oroville and Elko County. By 2020, 70 percent of the dams in the United States will be more than 50 years old.

February 27, 2017 - The New York Times

Had federal authorities acted on the motion filed by three environmental groups in October 2005, nearly 200,000 people in three counties would not have been forced to evacuate due to a poorly constructed emergency spillway for Oroville Dam.

February 16, 2017 - The Mercury News

As climate changes in the Rockies and the southwest, Lake Powell is gradually shrinking. The debate over Glen Canyon Dam is on again, and this time environmentalists aren't the only ones against it.

June 23, 2016 - Pacific Standard

Failing infrastructure is a life and death matter. Decaying roads, bridges, dam, pipelines, water delivery, and railroads lacking safety controls are responsible for the loss of thousands of lives annually, on top of illnesses and injuries.

November 12, 2015 - The New York Times

The state of South Carolina is struggling to deal with a catastrophic sign that all of the warnings about the state of the nation's dams and bridges have gone unheeded for too long.

October 6, 2015 - CNN

The news satire show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" gave comic treatment to the country's ever-present, much-neglected infrastructure crisis. It's hilarious and scary. At the same time!

March 6, 2015 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

To the ire of environmental critics, the Chinese State Council has moved some bureaucratic roadblocks to likely enable the building of a $3.8 billion dam.

January 3, 2012 - The New York Times

A dam near Ojai, California built in 1947 attracts almost unanimous disapproval. Getting the dam demolished though is a long and frustrating process, one an unknown graffiti artist commented on this week.

September 20, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

Lawmakers are likely to consider a controversial plan this summer to remove a series of dams on the Klamath River to help restore endangered salmon populations.

August 1, 2011 - National Geographic

After years of denial, the Chinese government has admitted that its massive Three Gorges Dam project is destabilizing the land around the reservoir.

August 1, 2011 - The Christian Science Monitor

A plan approved to build a $7 billion dam in Chile has some worried about the loss of land, but others excited about looming economic opportunities.

May 13, 2011 - The Washington Post

As plans to build a major dam on the Amazon River edge closer to breaking ground, locals in nearby communities worry about the inevitable changes to come.

March 12, 2011 - Smithsonian Magazine

China's mega-dam, the Three Gorges, is facing some growing pains as recent storms have put the structure to the test.

August 17, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Plans to construct an $11 billion hydroelectric dam in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil has officials excited about the new energy it will create, and some locals preparing to relocate.

August 16, 2010 - The New York Times

This feature from Miller-McCune looks at the debate over a dam near Stanford University, and whether it should be removed to restore the ecosystem the area once housed, or maintained to protect the ecosystem that it spawned.

August 5, 2010 - Miller-McCune

Dam and development projects are in the works along the Mekong River, which runs through six Asian countries. Some say the river and the economies that rely on it are being threatened.

December 18, 2009 - The New York Times

A new $7.7 billion dam is being built in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, a piece of infrastructure expected to ease the shipment of goods between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But its environmental impact may hurt Brazil's green credibility.

December 16, 2009 - The Washington Post

Japan wants to end its spending on wasteful construction projects, which are the cause of the country's massive debt. But for one small town on the verge of losing a dam, the "wasteful" project is the center of the local economy.

October 19, 2009 - The New York Times

A recent breach in the largest hydroelectric dam in Russia highlights the dangers posed by undermaintained Soviet era infrastructure.

August 21, 2009 - The New York Times