Utah is home to 6,500 dams, 223 of which are labeled “high-hazard” by the state’s dam safety program. Almost half, 101, need to be upgraded, according to a local news report.
Some of those high-hazard dams are currently in construction or design, says the report, but 81 are not yet in the queue. Dams are classified as high-hazard if failure would result in people dying.
State officials express concern that as Utah’s population growns, more dams will be categorized as high-hazard, exacerbating the problem.
