Students learn in this lesson, and through the associated activity, that dams are constructed with specific purposes and unfortunately do not last forever. Similar to other human-made structures, such as roads and bridges, dams require regular maintenance and have a finite lifespan. Many dams built during the 1930-70s, an era of intensive dam construction, have an expected life of 50-100 years. Due to inadequate maintenance and/or for environmental reasons, some of these dams will fail or be removed in the next 50 years. Students can investigate existing projects using the associated activity to see if various structures have stood the test of time while still maintaining their intended purpose The engineers with Splash Engineering have an ethical obligation to remind Thirsty County of the maintenance and lifespan concerns associated with its dam.