Dams are old and abandoned, are people concerned? Risk perceptions from Michigan, USA

Abstract

Dams across the U.S. are in a precarious state. Many have been in disrepair for decades and the entities that built them have long since disappeared, raising difficult questions as to who will manage this growing problem. Despite the state of the nation’s dams, we know very little about public perceptions of dams. In this analysis, we evaluate public concern for dams using survey data from Michigan, a state with an extensive network of aging dams. Using a survey experiment, we find that risk perceptions increased when respondents were provided information about the age of the dams. Respondents identified as “news junkies” also expressed higher risk perceptions. We also tested for “white male” and partisan effects on risk perception but found little evidence of those. We conclude by discussing implications for policy and the future of dam management.