DAM FAILURE IN SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON
The volume of silt eroded from the dam was approximately 8x104 ft3; this was augmented by erosion of loess and underlying alluvium as the flood deeply scoured a small canyon. The coarse sediment was deposited on an alluvial fan; thixotropic mud covered the school grounds.
The Manning equation is Q=A R2/3 S1/2 n-1, where Q=discharge, A=cross-sectional area, R=hydraulic radius, S=slope, and n=Manning resistance factor. The paleodischarge was measured at six places along the flood path; depending in part on the estimated value of n, the estimations for peak flood discharge ranged from 3 to 10x103 ft3/sec.
The dam was completely rebuilt within a year of the failure. Improvements included better compaction of the silt, a concrete upstream face, and a spillway.