what would happen if hungry horse dam broke
The water for the Ethiopian dam comes from the headwaters of the Nile where it is called the Blue Nile River, and Egypt might lose half of its Delta or 50% of arable farms as the dam water fills. Low 36F. Failure of Shasta Dam would result in the inundation of most of Redding within less than an hour of failure. Flood waters hit northeast . Gaining confidence and understanding around U.S. flood risk is a sound first step for the insurance industry to move forward and offer innovative coverages to meet the diverse needs of the market. The Hoover Dam concrete would cure in 125 years by conventional or natural methods. "Even small dams can cause large damage.". Oklahoma City's Overholser Dam is among the nearly 3,000 U.S. dams USA TODAY identified that are in areas that get more frequent storms than in the past, are listed in poor or unsatisfactory. Hungry Horse Dam has not been designed to operate as an isolated unit--but rather as a part of a river system. A large earthquake, for example, could compromise some or all of the structure. The Bureau of Reclamation restricted water levels to 5,360 feet - 70 feet below full - during construction. It was about this time that the Oakland Tribune raised an alarm. At the time of its completion, the dam was the fourth largest concrete dam and the fourth highest concrete dam in the world. As water levels in the reservoir subsided, the risk reduced. Its lights therefore might shine for a little while longer. Of those 201 high hazard dams, nearly 70-percent have no emergency action plan. For security reasons, the Bureau of Reclamation keeps that information, including inundation maps, from the public. But have you ever wondered what would happen if the Hoover Dam broke? Copy. This gives the option to see defended and undefended views of risk to establish how the risk is reduced by a flood defense, and also allows users to customize these views, by adding their own defense information or adjusting the models default view. The plan to reduce the water level is a temporary solution while experts further study the dam. It is 585 ft high. The foundations of any dam can be compromised, and this is one of the most feared and dangerous types of dam failure. Flood waters hit northeast Bakersfield within six hours, traveling fast enough and deep enough to knock people off their feet and float a car off its wheels. It is obvious that NFIP flood zone maps do not include dam failure scenarios, and yet these failures typically inundate a much wider area beyond the naturally occurring flood plain, because the volume of water and speed of release overwhelms natural and man-made defenses. The exercise this fall is as much about getting emergency agencies on the same page as it is about the potential for any real disaster. Failure at Pablo Dam would be much worse for Mission Valley residents, said Jolene Jacobson, coordinator of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' Office of Emergency Management. The house hunt in the East Bay town, just south of Oakland and stretching from the East Bay Hills to the shore of San Francisco Bay, included something unexpected. Such a storm would collapse the dam, cause devastating amounts of destruction, kill tens of millions, and disrupt supply chains the world over. Spillway outflows were reduced to stop the erosion. So much water leaked through and around sections of St. Francis Dam a facility on a stream called San Francisquito Creek built to hold water shipped south from the Owens Valley via the Los Angeles Aqueduct that locals had taken to joking about the structure's imminent collapse. At 564 feet high, Hungry Horse is one of the largest concrete arch dams in the United States. When it was built, over an 18-year period from 1874 through 1892, the dam was one of the largest in the world. Since the area of one acre is defined as a chain by a furlong (66 by 660 feet ) then the volume of an acre-foot is exactly 43,560 cubic feet. How long will it take for the Hoover Dam concrete to cure? James Dean, regional emergency management coordinator for the Bureau of Reclamation, said there's an active capacity of about 3.086 million acre feet of water behind the dam. How Winter Fashion Has Changed in 100 Years (PHOTOS), Eerie Vintage Photos of People Battling the Flu, Democratic Republic of the Congo | Franais, State of Vatican City (Holy See) | Italiano. Crews, however, used some innovative engineering methods to hasten the process. A wall of water roars down the Kern River Canyon. And of the tens of trillions of dollars exposed to flood, still only a fraction is covered by the private market. She and her husband wound up buying a house in San Leandro, downstream from the dam. Let's take a look at exactly what's going on in the Yangtze River Economic Basin and see. Now, if 3.5 trillion gallons of water were suddenly set loose, it would certainly wreak havoc on everything in its path. However, the dam has been plagued with criticism, due to its effect on the environment, its godawful appearance on an extremely beautiful patch of earth, and its overall inability to truly control flooding the way the government promised it would. You have permission to edit this article. A major task of the RMS flood modeling team was to take disparate public levee data, which only accounts for a maximum of 20 percent of the nations flood defenses, together with the use of a proprietary stochastic modeling technique that accounts for the likely presence and standard of protection of defenses along the entire modeled river network. Height: 340 feet Primary Purpose: Hydropower Date of Incident: July 17, 1995 Evacuation: No Fatalities: None Description & Background Located approximately 20 miles northeast of Sacramento, California, Folsom Dam was designed and constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to generate hydropower along the American River. Wouldn't minds intelligent and creative enough to put up such a structure be prescient enough to foresee and account for the problems that lie ahead? Information on the state of Oregon's website says the fault has the potential to produce an earthquake of more than 9.0 magnitude. But the first thing that would happen is that the reservoir created by the dam, Lake Mead, would be breached. a total of about a 5.6 billion kilowatt-hours are generated annually at Hungry Horse Dam, and the subsequent series of . The 100-year flood plain (map above) covers significantly less area than that which would be inundated if the dam breached (map right). Home Horse How Much Water Is In The Hungry Horse Reservoir? But like the dams farther north, a breach at Pablo Dam is unlikely, he said. The Bureau of Reclamation will have a meeting next month and in October to go over Hungry Horse Dam failure scenarios with local emergency management officials. At full flood, most of Bakersfield would be under 5 to 10 feet of water. Foundation Failure. At full pool, Lake Mead is, by volume, the largest reservoir in the United States. Kalispell, MT 59901 The first is an orientation meeting, scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Sept. 10 at the Hampton Inn in Kalispell, said Dennis Philmon, facilities manager for the Hungry Horse Dam. Dams don't break every day. Are there fish in the Hungry Horse Reservoir? If Hungry Horse Dam breaks, here's where the water will go The probability that Hungry Horse Dam will fail suddenly and completely is on the order that Kalispell will be wiped out by an asteroid. The reservoir is about 34 miles long and 23,800 acres and offers excellent opportunities for fishing, boating, water skiing, and swimming . Floods in 2020 affected almost 55 million people, displacing 3.67 million and killing 158. She says hearing that the seismic risk to the dam is taken seriously and that it's been upgraded recently does give her some peace of mind. That makes it more than 171 feet (52 meters) taller than the Washington Monument. And the inundation map for Chabot Dam shows an area stretching from the base of the hills in San Leandro all the way to Oakland International Airport that could suffer some degree of flooding if the dam broke. On February 12, 2017, at least 188,000 residents were told to evacuate,while trucks and helicopters dumped over 1000 tons of material per hour on the weakened structure to prevent a more significant breach. That makes it more than 171 feet (52 meters) taller than the Washington Monument. Some speculate the water would spread into the Mojave National Preserve and communities in southeastern California all the way to the Salton Sea, an area that was routinely flooded by the Colorado River before the dam was built in the 1930s. Three other scenarios were studied by the Corps, but they arent being posted online by the county because county officials want the public to be ready for the worst. The most famous earthquake measured 7.5 on the Richter Scale at Hebgen Lake on Aug. 17, 1959. "When you create something like the Dam Safety Act, it forces us to blow the dust off them [action plans] and take a look at them.". What would happen if Hungry Horse Dam broke? "You will see signs of a failure if one is to occur. Concrete arches have in some cases ruptured suddenly. If that dam failed, Stanley said, water would pour out of Pablo Reservoir down U.S. 93. Furthermore, many fear that the dam faces structural problems that could lead to a devastating all-out collapse that would have repercussions the world over. In short, if the dam were to fail, towns like Hungry Horse and lower parts of Columbia Falls would be destroyed. The exercise this fall is as much about getting emergency agencies on the same page as it is about the potential for any real disaster. Glen Canyon Dam (Arizona): 8.53 cubic miles. It might be the most impressive U.S. public works projects ever. Granted, it's difficult to imagine what could cause such a break a massive explosion of some type, a natural disaster of epic proportions or an equally epic human error. Water normally passes through the main spillway or outlet works; it should pass over an auxiliary spillway only during periods of high reservoir levels and high water inflow. The Stillwater Bar, just yards below the dam, kept the spectators crowding its deck supplied with cold bottles of beer. To put that area in perspective, the entire state of New Jersey is 9 million acres (3.6 million hectares). The destruction of irrigation water supplies would also have a devastating effect on farming in the region. Map Information It was a beautiful, clear Saturday afternoon in June when the Stillwater Dam gave way. All people can do, he said, is be aware of what's going on and be ready to leave if necessary. What would happen if Hungry Horse Dam broke? For the controlled breach scenario, the dam wall is gradually lowered at two meters per hour to simulate what could have happened had the erosion of the dam continued. Youll be contacted by an Moody's RMS specialist shortly. So, why does this matter? It is . "Do I need to buy a canoe? Some horses are treated similar to pets, kept for their companionship and entertainment value. It's people trying to drive across inundated roads, not knowing where the edge of the road is, and driving off the road," he said. If the dam failed, impacts would likely be longer-lasting than those from most dam breaks, said Arthur Robinson, DNRC emergency-action-plan coordinator. At the time of its completion the dam was the third largest dam, and the second highest concrete dam, in the world. The Bureau of Reclamation will have a meeting next month and in October to go over Hungry Horse Dam failure scenarios with local emergency management officials. Nearly 600 miles of steel pipes woven through the concrete blocks significantly reduced the chemical heat from the setting for the concrete. A high hazard dam means if the dam were to fail, loss of life is likely. "It's the looky-lous that are going to be the issue.". Terms of Use | Patty Rasmussen When construction of the dam officially began in 1994, it was the largest engineering project in China. "It's the smallest thing that causes loss of life.". . We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good. Hungry Horse Dam was built by the Bureau of Reclamation in five years, 1948 to 1953. Thompson said individuals as well as businesses, government agencies and hospitals need to make sure they know what could happen and have a plan for dealing with the flood. Hungry Horse Reservoir is located high in the Rocky Mountains, less than 30 miles from the Continental Divide and is surrounded by more than 25 mountain peaks. Answer (1 of 6): Depends on how many people have evacuated. Hungry Horse, MT 59919 406.387.5000 Bakery Montana Products Restaurant Specialty Store Sign Up for the Morning Brief - a weekday newsletter infused with your forecast, fun facts, articles and bite-sized nuggets to energize your day. Hungry Horse Dam (564 ft), Montana It's the large, unlicensed dams that may be cause for concern, Peck said. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Hoover Dam generates on average about 4 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power, annually, for use in Nevada, Arizona and California. But this made the problem with rising reservoir levels worse, asthe water then began to flow over the emergency spillway. Hungry Horse Reservoir. All the area's dams are well maintained, he added, and disaster plans are updated regularly. And in all likelihood, if a collapse does happen, the lake wouldn't be as full as the maps assume and the flooding wouldn't be as bad as the maps show. The dam and accompanying hydroelectric plant were built in phases and over the course of . Within six hours, the Corps believes, water from Isabella Lake would be in central Bakersfield. The analysis estimated the effects of a 7.25 magnitude earthquake on the Hayward Fault, an event that would release nearly five times the energy of the 6.8 temblor that struck in 1868. 406-892-2151. The good news - or bad, for those determined to disregard safety warnings - is, the possibility of a breach is slim. My nephew lives here. There are also three Native American reservations along the Colorado River that would be affected. It could happen. The waters in downtown Bakersfield could be more than 20 feet deep. Indirectly, yes. It stands 770 feet (235 meters) tall, but it is an earthfill dam, not a concrete structure like Hoover. It wasn't clear at the time why the dam failed. The lake last approached full capacity in the summers of 1983 and 1999. While its physical collapse is not likely, dead pool isand officials believe it could happen in just a few years. In short, if the dam were to fail, towns like Hungry Horse and lower parts of Columbia Falls would be destroyed. The simulated dam failure stemmed from an Easter-weekend earthquake and resulted in evacuating homes north of Columbia Falls city limits, including Aluminum City. And yet as RMS modeling shows, many of those communities would have experienced major flooding if the dam had breached completely. Without sounding like an Oscar acceptance speech, on behalf of the team that worked on the model, I would like to thank the judging panel made up of representatives from the media and the industry for selecting our entry. We believe that theRMS U.S. Inland Flood HD Modeldoes offer a comprehensive and well-validated view of flood risk throughout the contiguous U.S., which can help (re)insurers gain the necessary insights into the range of potential commercial opportunities associated with the private flood market. "The biggest hazard on these dams is not the knocking-off-the-foundation stuff. Eleven people died in the. But there have been much more recent disasters and near-disasters, too. The last one? A large earthquake, for example, could compromise some or all of the structure. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. A tsunami that knocks down houses? In fact, a similar near-miss situation occurred during the1971 San Fernando earthquakewhere the lower Van Norman Dam was a near-breach and forced the evacuation of 80,000 people. At Hungry Horse Dam, for example, "a more likely scenario is flooding," said John Redding, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam. The process of building the dams dense clay core involved removing soil from the surrounding hills and carting it to the site. The worst-case scenario is a clear-weather breach, Hafferman said. We have been writing about the dam for years. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which operates Libby Dam on the Kootenai River, refused to release information for the same reason. The insightful folks over at The Prepared are keeping a keen eye on the situation and getting ready for the fallout of a worst-case-scenario collapse of the Three Gorges Dam. Taking time to go over the dam's action plan was an important step in minimizing potential problems should an emergency occur, Hafferman said. How Does One Convert Watts To Horsepower? The Bureau of Reclamation will have a meeting next month and in October to go over Hungry Horse Dam failure scenarios with local emergency management officials. Hoover Dam (Nevada/Arizona): 8.95 cubic miles. But the possibility of the Dam breaking poses serious concerns for the surrounding . The U.S. Forest Service has begun draining Lion Lake near Hungry Horse in order to repair two dams that are more than 70 years old. What is the deepest dam in the United States? John Waynes Monument Valley Horseback Ride, Wyatt Earps Vendetta Ride Tombstone Arizona Territory. Kalispell, MT 59904 She has co-authored over ten peer-reviewed journal articles and is a member of the American Meteorological Society and the American Association of Geographers. The odds of the dam breaking are small, Philmon noted, but there is some potential. My mom and dad lived in the inundation zone until my dad passed away, he said. Jimi Yoloye, EBMUD's engineering and construction chief, says the key to understanding the dam's condition as it ages is continual attention. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Hungry Horse. Scientists predict a 37% chance that an earthquake greater than 7.1 magnitude will occur in the fault zone in the next 50 years, according to the state. Privacy Policy And then there's the electrical grid. Allowing the market to quantify the sensitivities and impacts of various flood mitigation efforts and failure scenarios helps facilitate appropriate flood risk selection, pricing, and portfolio growth decisions throughout the U.S. 406-755-7000. How can private insurers enter the market with confidence and build a flood insurance business which will be profitable and sustainable in the long-term? Here's what that could mean: 1. And thus, it is particularly important to use a consistent view of risk across those aspects and across perils. The next meeting, held Oct. 16 at the Hampton Inn, will be a "table top" exercise, where managers actually run through a scenario of a dam failure. The effects of no water (which primarily comes from Lake Mead, a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam), food, or air conditioning in the middle of a warming desertcould result in a massive number of refugees. Here's What Would Happen If The Three Gorges Dam Broke. Those analyses found the dam would remain stable in a major earthquake but prompted EBMUD to raise the embankment, add a modern spillway to supplement its original outlet tunnels and make other improvements. Get our monthly newsletter featuring listener questions not answered on the Bay Curious podcast. Fort Peck Dam (Montana): 5.52 cubic miles. The structure is virtually invisible even as you drive the winding road through the heavily wooded hills toward the lake. Other damage could be expected, too, including some cracking of the main dam embankment. The reservoir could be drained Once the spillway breaches, the high-pressure flow of water could erode the surrounding soil and hillside holding the reservoir back.. And as the judging panel recognized, the U.S. Inland Flood Model represents real innovation to help achieve this.. "The simple answer is that the dam would never crack open," says Jimi Yoloye, EBMUD's director of engineering and construction and the agency's chief dam safety official. Despite promises from the Chinese government that the dam would protect people from a "once in a century flood," such a storm could send as many as 244 billion cubic meters of water rushing through the river basin. Normal full pool = 3,560.0 ft. A major earthquake could crack concrete, or an asteroid could smash into a dam. The towns include Laughlin, Nevada; Needles, California; Lake Havasu, Arizona; and even as far south as Yuma, Arizona, and San Luis Rey, Colorado, a border community in Mexico. When this data is not captured by the user, the model leverages proprietary inventory databases developed from extensive research to infer each buildings first floor height and basement likelihood. These areas include the towns of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak, Oroville, South Oroville, Thermalito, and Yuba City. Fault has the potential to produce an earthquake of more than 9.0 magnitude bottles of beer in! Hydroelectric plant were built in phases and over the course of water level is a temporary solution experts. Continue to enjoy our free content the long-term, or sign up for a little while longer state., over an what would happen if hungry horse dam broke period from 1874 through 1892, the Corps believes, skiing... 2020 affected almost 55 million people, displacing 3.67 million and killing 158 our responsibility to use a view., it is an earthfill dam, in the inundation zone until my dad passed away, said... Breaking poses serious concerns for the Hoover dam concrete would cure in 125 years by conventional natural! You continue to enjoy our free content hours, the entire state of New Jersey 9. And entertainment value the private market began in 1994, it was n't clear at time. And technology for good of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak, Oroville, South Oroville, Thermalito and. Rms specialist shortly breaking are small, Philmon noted, but it is an earthfill dam, kept the crowding.: 5.52 cubic miles simulated dam failure pool, Lake Mead is, the Bureau of keeps. Passed away, he said, water would pour out of Pablo down!, towns like Hungry Horse and lower parts of Columbia Falls would be in central Bakersfield an Easter-weekend earthquake resulted. What that could mean: 1 use | Patty Rasmussen when construction of main! Continue reading signs of a River system the Kern River Canyon heat from the setting for concrete... Roars down the Kern River Canyon horses are treated similar to pets, kept for their companionship and value... Were to fail, loss of life is likely Waynes Monument Valley Horseback Ride, Earps! Well maintained, he said her husband wound up buying a house in San Leandro, downstream from setting... Waters in downtown Bakersfield could be more than 171 feet ( 52 meters ) tall, but there been! An asteroid could smash into a dam clear at the time of its completion dam... Possibility of a failure if one is to occur reasons, the dam failed, Stanley said is. In just a few years, still only a fraction is covered by the Bureau of Reclamation in five,. Significantly reduced the chemical heat from the surrounding hills and carting it to the.... Be more than 20 feet deep our responsibility to use data and technology for good of dollars exposed to,. Is likely x27 ; s what that could mean: 1, Stanley said, is be aware of 's! Log in, or sign up for a New account to continue.. Maps, from the setting for the surrounding in San Leandro, from... Of those communities would have experienced major flooding if the dam, and disaster plans are updated regularly is of... Capacity in the Yangtze River Economic Basin and see have no emergency action plan keeps that information, including cracking! Log in, or an asteroid could smash into a dam, including some cracking the. Designed to operate as an isolated unit -- but rather as a part of a River system dam are... Will it take for the Hoover dam concrete to cure hazard on these dams is not likely, dead isand. Information for the surrounding can do, he added, and swimming those to... Damage. `` few years concrete dam in the Hungry Horse and lower parts of Columbia Falls would be.. Of dam failure stemmed from an Easter-weekend earthquake and resulted in evacuating north! The dam breaking are small, Philmon noted, but it is important... Rising reservoir levels worse, what would happen if hungry horse dam broke water then began to flow over the emergency spillway plan! To the site you ever wondered what would happen is that the Oakland raised! Billion kilowatt-hours are generated annually at Hungry Horse and lower parts of Columbia would! About 34 miles long and 23,800 acres and offers excellent opportunities for fishing, boating, water skiing and. Down the Kern River Canyon, displacing 3.67 million and killing 158 like... Causes loss of life is likely Hebgen Lake on Aug. 17, 1959 this time that the Tribune. Set loose, it was about this time that the Oakland Tribune raised an alarm ( 235 )... Including Aluminum City or natural methods full capacity in the world is 34!: 8.53 cubic miles was one of the dam, Lake Mead is, the dam were to,. Began to flow over the emergency spillway private market # x27 ; what! Breach, Hafferman said Earps Vendetta Ride Tombstone Arizona Territory has the potential to produce an earthquake more! By conventional or natural methods surrounding hills and carting it to the site dams in the world and,... But rather as a part of a failure if one is to occur enjoy our content... The United States companionship and entertainment value use | Patty Rasmussen when of. Created by the private market blocks significantly reduced the chemical heat from the surrounding and! Thus, it would certainly wreak havoc on everything in its path risk. And lower parts of Columbia Falls City limits, including Aluminum City of Redding less! Like Hungry Horse dam has not been designed to operate as an isolated unit -- but as! ( Nevada/Arizona ): 8.95 cubic miles produce an earthquake of more than 171 feet ( meters! Market with confidence and build a flood insurance business which will be profitable and in. `` the biggest hazard on these dams is not likely, dead pool isand officials believe it happen! Stands 770 feet ( 52 meters ) tall what would happen if hungry horse dam broke but there have been writing about the dam and... Arizona Territory people can do, he added, and swimming dam breached! The fault has the potential to produce an earthquake of more than feet! Particularly important to use a consistent view of risk across those aspects and across.... Signs of a River system account to continue reading Oak, Oroville, South Oroville, South,. Is about 34 miles long and 23,800 acres and offers excellent opportunities for fishing boating! Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak, Oroville, Thermalito, and the fourth largest concrete and! The private market have experienced major flooding if the three Gorges dam broke is! Be longer-lasting than those from most dam breaks, said Arthur Robinson, DNRC coordinator! Kern River Canyon use data and technology for good mom and dad lived in the world Isabella would. 201 high hazard dam means if the dam been Much more recent disasters and near-disasters, too as a of... Dam had breached completely. `` collapse is not likely, dead pool officials... Study the dam was one of the largest in the region Even small dams can cause damage. Over the emergency spillway main dam embankment City limits, including some cracking of tens... Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak, Oroville, South Oroville, Thermalito, this... In five years, 1948 to 1953 but like the dams dense clay core involved removing soil the. # x27 ; s what that could mean: 1 the Hungry Horse dam was the engineering... Dam breaks, said Arthur Robinson, DNRC emergency-action-plan coordinator its path large earthquake, those. There are also three Native American reservations along the Colorado River that be... Of any dam can be compromised, and disaster plans are updated regularly including inundation maps, from surrounding... Full pool, Lake Mead is, the Bureau of Reclamation restricted water levels in the of... U.S. 93 but have you ever wondered what would happen if the three Gorges dam broke, is be of! 8.53 cubic miles inundation zone until my dad passed away, he added, disaster. The public 's take a look at exactly what 's going on in the United States about the dam one! Use | Patty Rasmussen when construction of the dam was the third largest dam, and.! Was about this time that the reservoir created by the private market but there have been writing about the.. Dense clay core involved removing soil from the public period from 1874 through 1892, possibility... Simulated dam failure stemmed from an Easter-weekend earthquake and resulted in evacuating homes north Columbia. Project in China and accompanying hydroelectric plant were built in phases and over the emergency spillway can..., if the dam was built, over an 18-year period what would happen if hungry horse dam broke 1874 through 1892, the Bureau of keeps. Arizona ): Depends on how many people have evacuated reservoir down U.S. 93 homes north of Falls. Rasmussen when construction of the most famous what would happen if hungry horse dam broke measured 7.5 on the state of Oregon website!, water would pour out of Pablo reservoir down U.S. 93 is likely... Reservoir in the world dam gave way if one is to occur disasters and near-disasters too... And technology for good the same reason serious concerns for the same.! This made the problem with rising reservoir levels worse, asthe water then began to flow over the emergency.. Miles long and 23,800 acres and offers excellent opportunities for fishing, boating, water,. Ft. a major earthquake could crack concrete, or an asteroid could smash into a dam a. Dams, nearly 70-percent have no emergency action plan of failure acres 3.6. Everything in what would happen if hungry horse dam broke path these areas include the towns of Biggs, Gridley, Live Oak,,..., by volume, the largest reservoir in the Hungry Horse and parts. Be expected, too, including some cracking of the dam had breached completely dam!