Mosul Dam in Iraq: The Most Dangerous Dam in the World - Government Reports and Background, Catastrophic Threat from ISIS/ISIL Islamic Terrorists, Technical Data, American Funded Work

In early August 2014, there were reports that the Islamic terrorist group ISIS/ISIL had seized control of the Mosul Dam in Iraq. This ebook provides comprehensive coverage of the Mosul Dam, called the "most dangerous dam in the world" by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Safety concerns about the Mosul Dam were raised with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in a 2007 letter from U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and General David Petraeus: "Mosul Dam, the largest dam in Iraq, was constructed on a foundation of soluble soils that are continuously dissolving, resulting in the formation of cavities and voids underground that place the dam at risk for failure... A continuous grouting program, which fills the voids and cavities in the foundation strata, has been the primary ongoing measure for mitigating risk... the Army Corps of Engineers does not believe that the dam meets international standards for risk and reliability, and as such, the safety of the dam cannot be assured. A catastrophic failure of Mosul Dam would result in flooding along the Tigris River all the way to Baghdad. However, the most severe impact of a dam failure would be the city of Mosul, located 50 kilometers downstream of the dam with a population of 1.7 million. Assuming a worse case scenario, an instantaneous failure of Mosul Dam filled to its maximum operating level could result in a flood wave 20 meters deep at the city of Mosul, which would result in a significant loss of life and property."

There is extensive information about the history of the dam and work by the U.S. government to insure its safety. Contents include: 2014 ISIS/ISIL Report of Mosul Dam Seizure * Relief and Reconstruction Funded Work at Mosul Dam * Geologic Setting of Mosul Dam and Its Engineering Implications * Geologic Conceptual Model of Mosul Dam * Mosul Dam Project Given Green Light