Teton Dam Disaster letters and interviews, 1976-1991

Teton Dam was located in Fremont County, Idaho, in the Teton River Canyon above Wilford. It had just been completed in 1976. On June 5, 1976, the earthen dam failed and an estimated 80 billion gallons of water swept downriver. The flood of water swept through Wilford, Sugar City, and Rexburg. Ricks College in Rexburg was spared for the most part, as it is located on a hill. Many residents of Rexburg and Sugar City spent the rest of the summer in Ricks College dorms. Further down the Snake River Valley, Idaho Falls had almost two days to get ready for the water. Trenches were dug around the end of the Broadway Bridge, dynamite was used to blast log jams that pushed against the bridge, and sand bags were piled along the riverfront. By the time the water reached Blackfoot, the National Guard had been called in to help. Out in the Pingree area, ditches filled with water, but no damage was done. The American Falls Dam was old and stood between the flood waters and the rest of the Snake River Plain, so officials began releasing water immediately. In the end the American Falls Dam held, and the flood was over. Cleanup would take the rest of the summer. Thousands of volunteers from the region, especially Utah, came in on buses to help.