It often takes a near disaster to get politicians to act. Like, for example, the evacuation of 150,000 residents when erosion compromised the Oroville Dam in California, sending water gushing over the emergency spillway toward the neighborhoods below. Only then did California officials authorize $1 billion for needed repairs and impose stricter policies for inspections and reporting.
Could that happen here? The safety of dams is an issue that needs a hard look in the Adirondacks, where dozens of structures are in