Remembering the Teton Dam collapse: Inside the failure and fight to rebuild
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The collapse of the Teton Dam spilled 80 billion gallons of water into eastern Idaho, killing 11 people and 13,000 head of livestock. Many people were made homeless by the disaster and tens of thousands of acres of land were destroyed or heavily damaged.
Although there were concerns about the dam’s design from the beginning, construction moved forward anyway with devastating results. Fifty years later, it remains one of the most-studied dam failures in the world, and there’s a proposal on the table to rebuild it.
This week on “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson looks back at June 5, 1976, and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the historic failure.
Nathaniel Gee, a dam safety expert and author of an upcoming book about the disaster who has ties to Rexburg, discusses the contentious political backstory of its construction.
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Richard Robison, nephew of the man who oversaw the dam’s construction, says his uncle was the last man standing on the crest of the dam at the moment of failure. He had multiple behind-the-scenes tours while it was under construction, and he shares his memories.
Gee and Robison also provide their perspective on whether the dam should be rebuilt.
RELATED | Former Rexburg man remembers uncle, who oversaw construction of the Teton Dam
Our final guest is Trent Walker. He grew up in Rexburg — his parents owned a popular restaurant in town at the time — and recently retired as an audio engineer for the Tabernacle Choir. He’s working on an album about the Teton Dam Disaster, putting the words of those who lived through it to music.
Walker discusses this project and shares one of the songs from the album at the end of the episode.
If you grew up in eastern Idaho, you’ve heard about the Teton Dam collapse. It’s a jam-packed show you don’t want to miss!
Watch previous episodes here. Check out the show on Facebook. If you have a tip or a guest idea, email rett@eastidahonews.com.