National Hydropower Association’s Clean Currents is coming to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from October 14-17, and this ‘by the industry, for the industry’ event has an exciting opportunity for those interested in both water power history and how the past can help shape contemporary problem solving.

Hosted by Worthington Waterway Barriers, this leadership and educational workshop ($65 per person) offers 80 attendees the chance to take a deep dive into one of the deadliest infrastructure failures in U.S. history – the 1889 Johnstown Flood.

Taking place on October 13, 2025, participants will leave from the David Lawrence Convention Center – the site of Clean Currents – at 10:30 AM for a full day experience, concluding at the pick-up site at 5:30 PM.

Participants must provide identification information at the time of registration (photo copy of driver’s license for U.S. participants; photo copy of passport for all non-U.S. residents).

Find out more below!

BACKGROUND

On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, gave way after several days of relentless rain, releasing the waters of Lake Conemaugh into the valley below. Within minutes, a torrent estimated at 20 million tons of water rushed downstream at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, flattening everything in its path. When the waters receded, more than 2,200 people were dead—making it the deadliest U.S. disaster of the 19th century.

The dam itself had been part of an earlier canal system and was later purchased by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, which modified the dam, including lowering its height and neglecting to maintain proper drainage, weakening its structure over the years. Warnings from local residents about its condition went unheeded, and when the structure finally failed during a historic rain event in which 6-10 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, the disaster sparked outrage across the nation.

The Johnstown Flood became a defining moment in U.S. history, and its legacy endures today in the form of stricter dam safety laws and engineering standards designed to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.

An engraving created to illustrate the flood, published originally by Harper’s Weekly.

THE WORKSHOP

This immersive leadership experience at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial isn’t just a field trip, it’s a deep dive into one of the deadliest infrastructure failures in U.S. history. Modeled after the U.S. Army War College’s Staff Ride approach, this workshop challenges Clean Currents attendees to reflect on the decisions, failures, and missed warnings that led to the 1889 disaster.

Participants will explore the site, unpack leadership dilemmas, and draw modern lessons for dam safety, risk communication, and hydropower accountability.

Questions to consider:

• What happens when private infrastructure collides with public risk?
• Would your safety culture have stopped the collapse?
• Who speaks up when no one wants to hear bad news?
• How do we lead when the consequences are invisible, until they aren’t?

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To register for Clean Currents and the leadership and educational workshop to Johnstown Flood and South Fork Dam, click HERE.

For questions about the tour or Clean Currents, contact Ellie Rubalow at [email protected].