PLT - Assessing Dam Risk in Iowa: An Analysis of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Dam Inventory

Dams play a vital role in protecting communities and infrastructure from the impacts of flooding, but they also pose potential risks if they fail. In this study, we used data from the Iowa Online Dam Inventory to assess the risk of dam failure in the state of Iowa. We analyzed the relationships between hazard classification, age, and condition of dams, and we explored how these variables influence the risk of a dam failure.

To assess the risk of dam failure, we used K-means clustering to group dams into different categories based on their hazard classification, age, and condition. We found that a five-cluster solution provided the best balance between simplicity and fit. We then used statistical tests, such as ANOVA and chi-squared tests, to assess the relationships between the variables and the clusters.

Our results suggest that older dams and those in poor condition are more likely to fail, and that dams with higher hazard classifications are associated with greater potential consequences in the event of a failure. These findings highlight the importance of ongoing maintenance and inspection of dams to ensure their safety and reliability. Our study has important implications for dam safety and risk management in Iowa, and it suggests that more resources should be allocated to the maintenance and inspection of older dams and those in poor condition.