Teton Dam facts for kids

The Teton Dam collapsed during a flood on June 5, 1976

Teton Dam was a dam on the Teton River in Idaho, in the USA. When it was built, it was 3,100 feet (940 m) long and 305 feet (93 m) tall, making it one of the largest dams in the United States. It is most known for collapsing during spring runoff on June 5, 1976 a few months after it was completed. The resulting flood destroyed 10,000 acres of land and five cities.

The dam was never rebuilt. Although the U.S. Government paid $100 million to build the dam, it had to pay $300 million more dollars to pay for flood damages.

Images for kids

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  Rexburg flooded

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  Large amounts of mud are now spilling down the face of the dam, unchecked by the efforts of the bulldozer operators. The outlet works at the foot of the dam are flooding with muddy water.

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  The dam is now breached and muddy water flows violently over the dam face.

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  The breach has now widened to nearly its full extent. The outlet works are completely inundated with muddy water.

See also

In Spanish: Presa de Teton para niños