Maximum extent of potential flooding due to simultaneous failure of dams in Salt Lake County, Utah (OFR-127)

By: W. F. Case

The purpose of this study is to determine the probable maximum extent of flooding if all Salt Lake County dams failed simultaneously and all reservoirs drained completely, as may occur during a large earthquake. It is assumed that all major dams, large lakes (Lake Catherine, Lake Martha, Secret Lake, and upper Red Pine Lake), and the Jordan Valley Purification Pond fail instantaneously as a result of earthquake ground shaking. The height of dams and storage of reservoirs and lakes were obtained from the Utah Divisions of Water Rights and - Parks and Recreation. Dam-failure inundation areas were determined using an approximate mathematical analysis designed to indicate maximum inundation areas only. The study presents a highly improbable scenario. The author and the Utah Geological and Mineral Survey make no implications regarding the integrity of dams or the potential for failure.

Other Information:
Published: 1988
Pages: 28 p.
Plates: 1 pl.
Location: Salt Lake County
Media Type: Paper Publication