Teton Dam History
On June 5, 1976, the Teton Dam in southeastern Idaho catastrophically failed. That morning, bulldozer operators tried in vain to plug seepage holes, though a torrent of water was able to rip through the dam, releasing one million cubic feet per second of water. Downstream communities were battered by flood waters and debris. This catastrophic failure resulted in the loss of 11 lives and caused millions in property damage to the surrounding communities.
This tragedy was a catalyst for the creation of Reclamation’s Dam Safety program. The program performs regular dam inspections and uses advanced monitoring techniques to ensure that our dams do not present unacceptable risks to the public, property, or the environment. The commitment to dam safety extends from the Commissioner in Washington to the field staff at every Reclamation dam, and the program has become model for dam safety around the world.
Teton Dam Photos
Teton Dam Information and Resources
| Project History PDF 134 kb | Covers the history of Reclamation's Teton Basin Project. |
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| Teton Dam History & Facts PDF 155 kb | Factsheet on the Teton Dam's history and failure. |
| After Teton PDF 14.45 mb | The Autumn 1976 issue of the Reclamation Era magazine. The magazine has several articles on the Teton disaster. |
| 100 Years of Embankment Dam Design and Construction in the Bureau of Reclamation PDF 1.75 mb | A publication discussing Reclamation's embankment dam design and construction organizations and how they evolved between the years 1902 and 2002. |
| Oral History Interview: Max E. Van Den Berg | Transcript of an oral history interview with Max E. Van Den Berg. |
| Oral History Interview: John W. Keys III | Transcript of an oral history interview with John W. Keys III. |
| Geomorphology and River Hydraulics of the Teton River Upstream of Teton Dam PDF 63.73 mb | A geomorphology and river hydraulics study was completed by Reclamation during 1997-2000 to determine what impacts occurred in this upstream canyon reach from the filling of Teton Reservoir and subsequent failure of Teton Dam. When Teton Dam failed, the reservoir was 270 feet deep at the dam and drained in less than six hours. The filling and the subsequent rapid draining of the reservoir triggered more than 200 landslides in the river canyon that was inundated by the former reservoir. |
| Report to U.S. Department of the Interior and State of Idaho on Failure of Teton Dam PDF 62.61 mb | Report submitted by the Independent Panel to Review Cause of Teton Dam Failure in December 1976 |
| Failure of Teton Dam: Final Report PDF 54.8 mb | The final report published by the U.S. Department of the Interior Teton Dam Failure Review Group in January 1980. |
Dam Safety Information
For More Information:
- The Geology Today article The Teton Dam: rhyolite foundation + loess core = disaster
- BYU-Idaho Library Teton Dam Flood Photographs Collection
- Idaho Office of Emergency Management: 1976 Teton Dam Collapse
- UC Santa Barbara's Teton Dam Failure Narrative
- The Teton Dam Disaster by Dylan J. McDonald
- The Museum of Rexburg's History of the Teton Dam Flood
- President Ford's Remarks Upon Signing the Teton Dam Disaster Assistance Bill
Contact
Public Affairs Office
gen-pnr-pninfo@usbr.gov
