Dam Failure Case Study: Dock Street Dam (Pennsylvania)

Dock Street Dam is a run-of-the-river low-head dam located on the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The dam creates an important flatwater recreation resource for the City of Harrisburg and surrounding communities and is a favorite destination for fishermen and boaters. A common characteristic of low-head run-of-the-river dams, such as Dock Street Dam, is that they are typically less than fifteen feet high, have continuous overflow, and the overflow can create a transient hazardous hydraulic condition known as a submerged hydraulic jump or roller that exhibits a strong recirculating current that can trap and drown victims. Dock Street Dam has presented a transient safety hazard to persons that visit the site since it was constructed in 1913. Recent research by a local news reporter documented 30 deaths and 30 near-fatalities at this dam between 1935 and 2018.