Downtown Taunton, Mass., Evacuated as More Timbers Fail in Century-Old Wooden Dam

AP ^ | 18 oct 2005 | Ray henry

[RightWhale]

The dam was built to power local textile mills.

Then the steam engine was invented. Maybe it would be best to dismantle the dam. It could be rebuilt, but if it is not needed for industry it might as well go away.

[BigBobber]

Does anyone know what personal liability the owner of a privately owned dam would have to everyone affected by a burst, to their lives or property?

A dam owner is liable for any damage done by a dam break.

Many states have dam safety commissions that review the safety of dams over a certain size. Dams used in power production also have oversight by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and require 5-year safety reviews.

[BigBobber]

At any point during the last century, did anybody consider replacing this with a concrete dam?

Dams all have about the same factor of safety, no matter what material they are built from. Wood crib dams are perfectly safe as long as they are maintained properly.

Dam material is often dictated by the foundation condition. In some locations a wood crib dam would work better than a concrete one.