The 1972 Rapid City flood will always be part of the collective memory of this community, so it is completely understandable that whenever the Rapid City Council discusses the structural integrity of the Canyon Lake spillway, that horrific history of June 9, 1972, is never far from our civic mindset.

It's understandable, but not entirely rational.

The dam at Canyon Lake burst in 1972 after 10 inches of rain fell in just a few hours' time across the Rapid Creek watershed, and all of it came tearing down the creek into Rapid City. It was a 500-year flood event that claimed 238 lives and caused more than $100 million in damage. While it permanently scarred this town's psyche, it also changed it, in many ways, for the better.

An attractive greenway all along Rapid Creek now protects our citizens from death and destruction in that flood zone. A bike path provides previously unknown recreational and transportation opportunities around Rapid City. Millions of dollars in federal disaster funds brought civic improvements, including the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

But today, more than 35 years after the `72 flood, the Canyon Lake spillway has sprung some leaks that are caused by sinkholes burrowing under the dam.

The city council is wise to address the issue, but it must not overreact to Rapid City's visceral fear of flooding that lingers from the last time the Canyon Lake dam failed.

As Alderman Bob Hurlburt said, "When you say 'flood' in Rapid City, it's like crying 'fire' in a theater. We get panicky."

Last week, after lengthy debate, the city council voted to approve a two-step plan to fix those sinkholes and rebuild the spillway.

That was the recommendation of HDR Engineering in Rapid City, although some council members believe the firm's report creates an overblown sense of danger. For one thing, the lake has far less water in it than it did in 1972 and, for another, there are no longer people living in homes along the creek's banks.

The city is right to address the spillway's reconstruction, but it must not let our past history become future hysteria. We hope the city's public works department takes all the time it needs to do the project once, and to do it right when they do.