Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam Living Below a dam

How many people out there live below there dams? Do you guys fear it breaking on you someday? Just curious? My dam is made up of heavy clay and its never shown signs... But theres that "what if factor" Just wondering?

I don't live below my dam, but I wouldn't be afraid to. But if I hadn't watched it being cored and built, I might worry.

I indeed live below a dam. Here is a link that shows our house relative to our ponds.

http://www.rockytoppers.com/the_pond.htm

I live on a 300 acre water shed. When we get those real Texas rains like normal years one can not imagine how much water flows in and thru my property and ponds. The front dam had water sheet flow over the top of the dam 2 years ago.

Yes I worry ever now and then but not too much. Besides I have 3 stories in my house, if it gets to the top story a fellow named Noah will be coming by in boat to pick me up.

I wouldn worry too much, but there is always that one exception. How close to the drainage ditch is the house?

Most of the time when a dam fails, it's because of erosion and water running over it. This creates a trench that gets deeper and deeper as the water cuts through the dam. The water is rushing out, but just at that one location.

The odds of the entire dam failing at once and all the water coming out are very, very slim.

What I want to know is why would you want to live below the dam and have that for your view? Is the house already built? Whatever it costs, it's worth it to have the view of the water instead of the dam.

Eddie

This last Spring, a thread came up that prompted me to post a couple of pics of a pond property that we very seriously considered for purchase. The dam towered over the county road directly behind it. Pics and explanation at road and dam relationship thread

I live at the bottom of a stair stepped property that has a trickly of a creek running through it. I have a perfect ravine at the top of my property Ive been debating on daming up with a 10' tall dam. Which is about 30 feet from the top of my house. If it gave way all at once....it would come down pretty fast. I just dont know if I want to worry about it or not. But god Id love that new pond. (I already have a big one..but its shallow, & I cant swim in it.)

Watershed districts are experiencing some problems with this. If someone builds below the dam it can raise the hazard classification of the dam.
To raise the classification of the dam can cost as much (maybe more) than the dam.
This area inundated is figured as if the hole dam were removed at one time.

dam classification? explain? Your talking about getting a dam permit for it and going through all the gov agencys?

I know of a 10 acre lake that the dam blew out. The dam was sound, but loggers jammed the spillway with logs and debris and didn't think about the consequences. Big rain came and the 30's dam spilt right down the middle very rapidly. It washed away huge trees in a valley below for miles, as the lake was 30' deep and had a lot of volume. The owner lost the entire several hundred acres due to law suits. Seems like 300 to 400 acres.

One must be very careful of living below dams which where not constructed well and below dams who's property owner is irresponsible. If there are trees growing on a dam, you should monitor it carefully as this is a clue of lack of maintenance and possibly poor construction practices.

Most all dams in my area I would be nervous living right below, large or small. You can google this, but there is massive leaking in the Wolf Creek dam in Kentucky, and it theoretically could was away large areas around Nashville if it gives way. Center Hill dam is leaking also. These are massive well built dams.

This is from memory.
I think there are 3 classifications of watersheds.
Can't recall if it's 1, 2, and 3 or a, b, and c or what.
Lowest classification would have no roads, houses or anything below it in the inundation area.
Middle classification would have a road or improvement below it.
Highest class would have threat of loss of life below the dam.
So if someone builds a house below a middle class dam it raises it to the highest hazard level dam. From what board members and inspectors have told me it would cost as much to reconstruct the dam to the high hazard level as it did to build it.
Don't know of any dams that the hazard classification has been changed on, but the watershed boards are worried.

I just had a thought about home owners insurance. Will they cover a house that's built under a dam? I'd sure check to be sure before building.

Eddie

You should check if you are in that situation as most homeowners insurance does not cover floods which can include water surge.

Oh im sure if an insurance guy has a loophole on not paying for something....they wont pay for it.