Choose another wonder Location: Folsom, California, USA
Completion Date: 1956 Cost: $81.5 million Reservoir Capacity:
43.9 billion cubic feet Purpose: Hydroelectric power,
irrigation, recreation Reservoir: Folsom Lake Engineer(s): U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers On July 17, 1995, a spillway gate on the
Folsom Dam broke open as it was being raised, causing an
uncontrolled five-story cascade to gush down the face of the
dam. Nearly 40 percent of Folsom Lake drained out past the
broken gate before it could be repaired. Normally, when a
reservoir becomes too full -- like after a heavy rainstorm --
engineers open spillway gates, which allow the excess water to
drain out of the reservoir at a controlled rate of speed. When
these gates open suddenly and engineers lose the ability to
control the flow, disaster can result. Luckily, no major
flooding occurred as a result of the failure, and the Folsom Dam
was fully repaired at a cost of $20 million. After a year of
thorough investigation, the United States Bureau of Recla