Dam Failure Case Study: Austin (Bayless) Dam (Pennsylvania, 1911)

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Austin Dam (also known as Bayless Dam) was constructed between May and November of 1909 just outside Austin, Pennsylvania, a town of approximately 2,500 people in Potter County. The dam was a concrete gravity dam that stood 50 feet tall and 544 feet long. Austin Dam was constructed on Freeman’s Run with the purpose of supplying water to the Bayless Paper Mill, the primary employer in the town of Austin. Foundation issues, combined with several human factors caused Austin Dam to be a very troublesome structure. The dam stood for less than two years, during which numerous partial failures made it a constant problem and safety concern. The dam completely breached on September 30, 1911, releasing a flood wave that wiped out the towns of Austin and Costello, causing extensive loss of life and millions of dollars in damages.