The problem is the massive flooding way past the typical riverbed because of the massive amount of water waiting to be released. If they slowly emptied the lake it would be very different where the water line goes.

People historically commune near flood plains.

Floods are a good thing for soil fertility. Not much else.

Farms often are on land that is likely to see small amounts of flooding regularly.

Farms feed people. People like to be fed.

Also water is pretty crucial.

Just slowly zoom into the Nile river somewhere well south of Egypt, and you’ll see there is more or less NOTHING that is not within 10 miles of the river.

A good chunk of the Midwest would be wiped out if the dams along the Missouri failed in sequence. There’s a ridiculous amount of water there.

It’s because infrastructure spending, especially repairs or preventative maintenance, isn’t a vote getter. It’s not flashy, so it doesn’t get the focus it should.

By the time our representatives have funded their pet projects, and their donors projects, they aren’t going to award a large chunk that’s needed for these repairs.

That is… until there is a catastrophe close to home. Unfortunately that’s when we’ll likely see action. But it’ll be myopic, and focus only on one specific thing, leaving another unattended.

And how much would all of them breaking cost?