Comprehensive evaluation method for the severity of submerged losses due to check dam breach

To address the lack of a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the severity of submerged losses resulting from check dam failures, this study develops an integrated approach for the quantitative analysis and systematic assessment of failure severity at the dam-system level. Using a normalized function model, formulas were established to calculate severity coefficients for various types of losses. The evaluation was conducted by integrating the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the linear weighting method, and the 1–9 scale method. A set of evaluation criteria was also proposed, in which loss of life was treated as a critical indicator of severity. Building on the actual conditions and specific characteristics of check dams, a comprehensive framework was constructed for assessing the severity of submerged losses due to dam breach. The proposed method was applied to evaluate the Xiwuselang check dam system. Results indicate that the dam system’s post-failure consequence level corresponds to a return period of 100 years, underscoring the need for heightened attention to rainfall events exceeding this return period. This approach can offer technical support for the development of the "Four Pre" model for check dam management in the Yellow River basin