Dam Safety and Security 

in the United States

A Progress Report on the National Dam Safety 

Program in Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003

December 2003
B 
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Contents

2 Executive Summary

4 Highlights in 2002 and 2003

7 The Security of Our Nation’s Dams

7 The National Strategy for Protecting Dams

9 National Dam Safety Program Activities

10 The Federal and State Role in Dam Safety and Security

10 Introduction

11 The Federal Emergency Management Agency

12 Federal Agencies

16 The States 

16 The Private Sector

17 The National Dam Safety Program in 2002 and 2003

17 Introduction

17 The Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002

19 State Accomplishments

24 Research

25 Training

26 Information Technology

32 Federal Agency Programs

32 Security Activities

33 Federal Agency Accomplishments

42 Focus on the Future

Cover: Hoover Dam, Arizona-Nevada border 44 List of Acronyms
2 

Next year will mark 25 years of leadership of the 

National Dam Safety Program by the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA). In July 1979, FEMA was 

established by Executive Order 12148 in response to 

the need for unified and coordinated efforts for federal 

assistance in national disasters. Executive Order 12148 

also provided that the Director of FEMA would coordinate 

all federal efforts in dam safety. In 1986, Title XII of the 

Water Resources Development Act was enacted to establish 

and maintain dam safety programs, including training for 

state dam safety inspectors. Ten years later, in 1996, the 

Water Resources and Development Act of 1996 (Public 

Law 104-303) finally codified a program that had been 

successfully promoting dam safety and mitigating the 

effects of dam failures for almost 20 years. Section 215 

of Public Law 104-303 formally established the National 

Dam Safety Program and named the Director of FEMA as its 

coordinator. The passage of the 1996 Act represented the 

culmination of years of collaborative effort on the part of 

many in the dam safety community to statutorily create the 

National Dam Safety Program. 

The Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-

310), signed into law on December 2, 2002, reauthorizes 

the National Dam Safety Program for 4 more years and 

adds enhancements to the 1996 Act that are designed to 

Executive Summary

safeguard dams against terrorist attacks. The Act of 2002 

recognizes the importance of protecting our Nation’s 

dams against terrorist attack. There are now over 10,000 

dams in the United States that are classified as high-hazard 

potential, meaning that their failure from any means, 

including an attack, could result in loss of life, significant 

property damage, lifeline disruption, and environmental 

damage. The Act of 2002 addresses this priority through 

the coordination by FEMA of federal security programs and 

initiatives for dams and the transfer of federal best practices 

in dam security to the states. Other significant changes in 

the Act of 2002 include resources for the development and 

maintenance of a national dam safety information network 

and the development by FEMA of a strategic plan that will 

establish goals, priorities, and target dates to improve the 

safety and security of dams in the United States.

The Act of 2002 continues all of the programs established 

by the 1996 Act that have been serving to increase the 

safety of the Nation’s dams. These programs include grant 

assistance to the states, which provides vital support for 

the improvement of the state dam safety programs that 

regulate over 77,000 dams in the United States; training 

for state dam safety staff and inspectors; a program of 

technical and archival research, including the development 

of devices for the continued monitoring of the safety of 
3

dams; and the strengthening of the role of the National 

Dam Safety Review Board, which provides FEMA with 

advice in setting national dam safety priorities. The Act of 

2002 also provides that the Director of FEMA will submit 

a biennial report to the Congress that describes the status 

of the National Dam Safety Program, the progress achieved 

by the federal agencies during the 2 preceding fiscal years 

in implementing the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety, and the 

progress achieved by the states participating in the National 

Dam Safety Program. 

The Years 2002 and 2003 have been marked by significant 

accomplishments in national dam safety and security. Many 

of the accomplishments are the results of strategies and 

initiatives envisioned or implemented in Years 1998 and 

1999, the first 2 years of National Dam Safety Program 

funding. Under FEMA leadership, state assistance funds 

have enabled all participating states to better their programs 

through increased inspections, emergency action planning, 

and the purchase of needed equipment. There is now a 

national research program in dam safety that is focusing on 

priorities, producing products for both the layperson and 

the expert, and developing technological tools that drive 

data collection and analysis toward a better understanding 

of risk and remediation needs. In the training arena, FEMA 

has been able to expand existing training programs and 

begin new training programs to enhance the sharing of 

expertise between the federal and state sectors. 

Under FEMA’s leadership, the National Dam Safety Program 

is dedicated to protecting the lives of American citizens 

and their property from the risks associated with the 

development, operation, and maintenance of America’s 

dams. As the last biennial report on the National Dam 

Safety Program was being prepared in the fall 2001, there 

were many uncertainties facing the security of our Nation’s 

dams. The most critical question was how the National 

Dam Safety Program would fit within the rapidly evolving 

arena for protecting the national infrastructure against both 

natural and manmade threats. Two years later, the National 

Dam Safety Program is well positioned to both continue as a 

strong, self-sustaining program and to successfully become 

a part of the new national infrastructure protection scheme. 

The Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002 codifies FEMA’s 

ongoing relationship with other federal agencies, the states, 

and private interests to focus attention and energy on 

improving the safety and security of America’s dams. This 

report to the Congress on the National Dam Safety Program 

describes national efforts to improve dam safety and 

security in the United States in Fiscal Year 2002 and 2003.

Grand Coulee Dam, Washington. 1936
4

Highlights in 2002 and 2003 

The Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002 Becomes Law

Dams are an integral part of our Nation’s infrastructure, 

equal in importance to bridges, roads, and airports. There 

are now over 10,000 dams in the United States classified as 

high-hazard potential, meaning that their failure from any 

means, including a terrorist attack, could result in loss of 

life, significant property damage, lifeline disruption, and 

environmental damage.

The Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002, which was signed 

into law on December 2, 2002, addresses security for 

dams through the coordination by the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA) of federal security programs 

and initiatives for dams and the transfer of federal best 

practices in dam security to the states. Other significant 

changes in the Act of 2002 include resources for the 

development and maintenance of a national dam safety 

information network and the development by the National 

Dam Safety Review Board of a strategic plan that establishes 

goals, priorities, and target dates to improve the safety and 

security of dams in the United States.

The Act of 2002 continues all of the programs established 

by the 1996 Act that have been serving to increase the 

safety of the Nation’s dams, including increased funding 

authority to support improvement of the state dam safety 

programs that regulate over 77,000 dams in the United 

States, the work of the Interagency Committee on Dam 

Safety (ICODS), and the development of the strategic 

plan and the biennial report on the National Dam Safety 

Program; training for state dam safety staff and inspectors; 

a continued program of technical and archival research, 

including the development of devices for the continued 

monitoring of the safety of dams; and increased reliance 

on the National Dam Safety Review Board, which provides 

the Director of FEMA with advice on national policy issues 

affecting dam safety and helps oversee the operation of state 

dam safety programs. 

FEMA Becomes Part of the New U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security

On March 1, 2003, FEMA officially became part of the new 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS 

has three primary missions: to prevent terrorist attacks 

within the United States; to reduce America’s vulnerability 

to terrorism; and to minimize the danger from potential 

attacks and natural disasters. To accomplish this mission, 

the DHS serves as the primary liaison and facilitator for 

cooperation among federal departments and agencies, state 

and local governments, and the private sector. FEMA’s 

continuing mission within the new Department is to lead 
5

the effort to prepare the Nation for all hazards and to 

effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts 

following any national incident. 

In February 2003, the DHS released the National Strategy for 

the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets, the 

product of months of consultation across a broad range of 

public and private sector stakeholders. The National Strategy

defines the road ahead for a core mission area identified in 

the President’s National Strategy for Homeland Security: 

reducing the Nation’s vulnerability to acts of terrorism by 

protecting our critical infrastructure and key assets from 

physical attack. The National Strategy lists dams as a one of 

five key asset categories, and states the following relative 

to the importance of key assets in general and dams in 

particular: “Key assets and high profile events are individual 

targets whose attack—in the worst-case scenarios—could 

result in not only large-scale human casualties and property 

destruction, but also profound damage to our national 

prestige, morale, and confidence. Individually, key assets 

like nuclear power plants and dams may not be vital to the 

continuity of critical services at the national level. However, 

a successful strike against such targets may result in a 

significant loss of life and property in addition to longterm, adverse public health and safety consequences.” 

The National Strategy identifies major initiatives to overcome 

protective challenges for dam structures. FEMA and its 

partners in the National Dam Safety Program are now 

working to address many of the initiatives identified in 

the National Strategy. The integration of security safeguards 

for dams into the sector-wide initiatives identified by the 

DHS is a major opportunity for the National Dam Safety 

Program. The National Dam Safety Program has already 

begun the transfer of best practices on threat assessment 

and will continue to enhance and expand these efforts.

State Programs Continue To Show Significant Improvement

The primary purpose of the Dam Safety and Security Act 

of 2002 is to provide financial assistance to the states for 

strengthening their dam safety programs. In Fiscal Year (FY) 

2002 and 2003, FEMA distributed a total of $7.5 million to 

all of the participating states and Puerto Rico for dam safety. 

There have been many improvements in the Nation’s 

dam safety as a result of the state assistance funding. In 

1998, the National Dam Safety Review Board, which was 

established by the National Dam Safety Program Act and 

serves as the leading national advisory group on dam 

safety, developed performance criteria for the states. The 

performance criteria are designed to capture information on 

the number of state-regulated high- and significant-hazard 

potential dams in each state with an Emergency Action Plan 

(EAP), the number of dam inspections conducted each 

year by each state, and the number of dams that have been 

identified by the states as in need of remediation. 

A comparison of data from the states for 2001 and 2002 

indicates that National Dam Safety Program funding has 

resulted in very significant increases in the number of 

EAP’s over the past 2 years: a 47 percent increase in the 

absolute number of EAP’s for state-regulated high- and 

significant-hazard potential dams, resulting in a 7 percent 

increase in the completion percentage over the last 

reporting cycle. Today, 36 percent of all state-regulated 

high- and significant-hazard potential dams have an 

EAP. Since 1998, the number of EAP’s for state-regulated 

high- and significant-hazard potential dams has increased 

from 4,000 dams to approximately 7,500 dams in 2002. 

The number of dam inspections conducted by the states 

also has increased since data was first collected for 1998-

1999, from a total of approximately 13,000 inspections 

to approximately 14,500 inspections in 2002. Data from 

these and other critical areas demonstrate that dam safety 

has improved in the United States over the last 5 years as a 

result of the National Dam Safety Program.

Strategic Plan for Research Is Developed

To guide decisions on the funding of specific research 

projects, the National Dam Safety Review Board has 

developed a 5-year Strategic Plan that prioritizes research 

Granite Reef Diversion Dam of the Salt River Project, Arizona. 1913
6 

needs in dam safety and security. The goal in developing 

the 5-year Strategic Plan is to ensure that priority will be 

given to those projects that demonstrate a high degree of 

collaboration and expertise, and the likelihood of producing 

products that will contribute to the safety and security of 

dams in the United States.

Much of the input to the Strategic Plan originated with 

the results from research workshops sponsored with 

National Dam Safety Program funds over the last 5 years. 

The research workshops have resulted in the identification 

of highly valuable research that can be accomplished in 

a relatively short period of time, and the identification of 

other opportunities to improve dam safety programs and 

processes. The recommended research from incomplete 

or future workshops will be integrated into the Strategic 

Plan as the recommendations are finalized. The initiatives 

identified by the DHS for national implementation in 

the National Strategy also will be integrated into the 5-year 

Strategic Plan for dam safety research. 

Training Program Focuses on Dam Security

Since the inception of the National Dam Safety Program in 

1979, FEMA has supported a strong, collaborative training 

program for dam safety professionals and dam owners. 

With the training funds provided under Public Law 104-

303 and Public Law 107-310, FEMA has been able to 

expand existing training programs, begin new initiatives 

to keep pace with evolving technology, and enhance 

the sharing of expertise between the federal and state 

sectors. Training activities in 2002 and 2003 include a 

National Dam Safety Program Technical Workshop on dam 

site security, vulnerability assessments, and security plan 

effectiveness; the Association of State Dam Safety Officials 

Regional Technical Seminars; state training assistance 

funds; the Training Aids for Dam Safety (TADS) Program; 

the ICODS Expert Videotape Series; and the Multi-Hazard 

Building Design Summer Institute: Dam Safety course.

Refinement of Information Technology Tools Continues

A primary objective of the National Dam Safety Program 

has been to identify, develop, and enhance technologybased tools that can help educate the public and assist 

decision-makers. The development and refinement of three 

database systems/software programs have been major 

accomplishments over the past 2 years. These include 

the National Performance of Dams Program (NPDP), an 

incident reporting database headquartered at Stanford 

University; the National Inventory of Dams (NID), a 

database used to track information on the Nation’s water 

control infrastructure; and the Dam Safety Program 

Management Tools (DSPMT) program. In 2000, the DSPMT 

was integrated with the NID to provide quality assurance 

tools and to allow the external and internal reporting on 

dam safety program status, degree of implementation, and 

improvement. The DSPMT software now resides on the PCs 

of nearly all federal and state dam safety program managers 

and was used to coordinate the data collection of 2002 

state evaluation criteria reports for performance assessment 

by FEMA.

In 2000, FEMA established the National Dam Safety 

Information Committee under the National Dam Safety 

Review Board to develop a Strategic Plan for a national dam 

safety information resources infrastructure. In March 2003, 

the Committee issued a final draft of its Strategic Plan for 

Dam Safety Information Resources. The Strategic Plan calls 

for the development of a virtual eDams network that will 

provide all basic data information needs for dam safety 

professionals and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 

data collection.

The NPDP, the NID, and the DSPMT program have received 

major emphasis and funding under the National Dam 

Safety Program and are collecting invaluable data on the 

status of dams, dam incidents, and dam safety programs 

in the United States. In turn, these data are assisting 

Program partners in better documenting failure modes 

and identifying research and training needs. The eDams 

network, if implemented, will be integrated within a sectorwide critical infrastructure database envisioned by the 

National Strategy.

Federal Agencies Maintain Strong Programs

Although the Federal Government owns or regulates only 

about 5 percent of the dams in the United States, many 

of these dams are significant in terms of size, function, 

benefit to the public, and hazard potential. Since the 

implementation of the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety in 1979, 

the federal agencies have done an exemplary job in ensuring 

the safety of dams within their jurisdiction. 

For FY 2002 and 2003, all of the federal agencies 

responsible for dams implemented the provisions of the 

Guidelines. They accomplished this by sharing resources 

whenever and wherever possible to achieve results and 

improvements in dam safety. Many of the federal agencies 

also continue to maintain very comprehensive research and 

development programs and training programs, and are now 

incorporating security considerations and requirements into 

these programs to protect their dams against threats. 
7

The Security of Our Nation’s Dams 

protecting our critical infrastructure and key assets from 

physical attack. The National Strategy lists dams as a one of 

five key asset categories, and states the following relative 

to the importance of key assets in general and dams in 

particular: “Key assets and high profile events are individual 

targets whose attack—in the worst-case scenarios—could 

result in not only large-scale human casualties and property 

destruction, but also profound damage to our national 

prestige, morale, and confidence. Individually, key assets 

like nuclear power plants and dams may not be vital to the 

continuity of critical services at the national level. However, 

a successful strike against such targets may result in a 

significant loss of life and property in addition to longterm, adverse public health and safety consequences.” 

The National Strategy identifies two major challenges 

for dams: limitations in resources and assessment and 

management of risk. Of the approximately 77,000 dams 

in the United States, the Federal Government is responsible 

for only about 5 percent of the dams whose failure could 

result in loss of life or significant property damage. The 

remaining dams belong to state or local governments, 

utilities, and corporate or private owners. As a result, the 

resources available to protect dam property vary greatly 

from one category to the next. The distributed nature 

of dam ownership also complicates assessment of the 

The National Strategy for 

Protecting Dams

The events of September 11, 2001, significantly changed 

perspectives on dam safety by raising the possibility of 

terrorists using America’s own resources to bring harm to 

the public. Addressing this most important challenge is a 

priority of the national dam safety agenda.

In March 2003, the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA) officially became a part of the new U.S. Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS). The first priority of the DHS 

is to protect the Nation against future terrorist attacks. To 

accomplish that priority, the DHS serves as the primary 

liaison and facilitator for cooperation among federal 

departments and agencies, state and local governments, 

and the private sector. 

In February 2003, the DHS issued the National Strategy for 

the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets, the 

product of months of consultation across a broad range of 

public and private sector stakeholders. The National Strategy 

defines the road ahead for a core mission area identified in 

the President’s National Strategy for Homeland Security: 

reducing the Nation’s vulnerability to acts of terrorism by 

Dam at Mirror Lake, Kilbourn, Wisconsin. Circa 1900
8 

potential consequences of dam failure for certain categories 

of dams. Given these realities, the need to develop more 

comprehensive mechanisms for assessing and managing 

risks to dams is clear.

The National Strategy identifies the following major initiatives 

to overcome protective challenges for dam structures. 

• Develop risk assessment methodologies for dams. 

DHS, in cooperation with appropriate federal, state, 

and local government representatives and private-sector 

dam owners, will design risk assessment methodologies 

for dams and develop criteria to prioritize dams in 

the National Inventory to identify structures requiring 

enhanced security evaluations and protection focus.

• Develop protective action plans. DHS, together with 

other appropriate departments and agencies, will 

establish an intergovernmental working group to explore 

appropriate protective actions for the Nation’s critical 

dams.

• Establish a sector-Information Sharing Analysis Center 

(ISAC). DHS will work with other appropriate public 

and private sector entities to establish an information and 

warning structure for dams similar to the ISAC model in 

use within other critical infrastructure sectors.

• Institute a national dam security program. DHS and 

other appropriate departments and agencies, such as the 

Association of State Dam Safety Officials and the United 

States Society on Dams, will collaborate to establish a 

nationwide security program for dams.

• Develop emergency action plans. DHS, together with 

other appropriate departments and agencies, will identify 

the areas downstream from critical dams that could 

be affected by dam failure and develop appropriate 

population and infrastructure protection and emergency 

action plans.

• Develop technology to provide protective solutions. 

DHS, together with other appropriate departments 

and agencies, will explore new protective technology 

solutions for dams. Technology solutions hold 

significant promise for the identification and mitigation 

of waterborne threats. For example, technical options 

might include deploying sensors and barriers and 

communication systems to reduce the possibility of an 

unauthorized craft or device entering a critical zone 

located near a navigational dam.

The initiatives for dams that are listed in the National Strategy

will all have major consequences for mitigation. FEMA 

is now working in close cooperation with other federal 

departments, agencies, and programs, state agencies, and the 

private sector on cross-sector initiatives to identify, assess, 

and protect dams and other vulnerable structures. 

Eaglenest Dam, New Mexico. 1922
9

National Dam Safety Program 

Activities 

Since September 11, 2001, the National Dam Safety 

Program has been proactive in dealing with security threats 

to dams, and there are now many National Dam Safety 

Program activities underway to address the initiatives 

identified for the protection of our Nation’s dams. 

In February 2002, FEMA established the Task Force on 

Dam Safety Security under the National Dam Safety 

Review Board. The purpose of the Task Force, which 

has now become an official Work Group under the 

Review Board, is to serve as a national asset to facilitate 

dialogue on dam security and to offer technical support 

on policy and guidance related to the security of the 

Nation’s dams. Activities identified by the Work Group 

correlate to the initiatives identified in the National Strategy, 

including risk analysis, modeling strategies, procedures 

for the classification of information, recovery planning, 

surveillance, and physical access and protection.

The primary focus of the Work Group in Fiscal Year (FY) 

2002 and 2003 has been on providing state dam safety 

officials with the best practices and guidelines for the 

screening and vulnerability assessment of dams. In January 

2003, FEMA sent all 50 states and Puerto Rico a guidance 

package with threat assessment guidelines and screening 

assessment procedures. The package contained “Threat 

Assessment, Protection and Response: Guidance for NonFederal Dam Owners and Regulators” and the “Security 

Prioritization Screening Tool for Dams.” These guidelines 

are to be used in evaluating security at dams under each 

state dam safety official’s jurisdiction. Based in part on the 

guidance, the State of New Jersey has developed a model 

program that can be used as a prototype by all state dam 

safety programs.

In February 2003, the National Dam Safety Program held 

National Dam Safety Program Workshop #10: Dam Site 

Security-Threat, Consequences and Vulnerability Assessment and Security 

Plan Effectiveness. The Workshop at FEMA’s Emergency 

Management Institute, which was designed to transfer 

best practices in dam security procedures to state dam 

safety officials, was attended by representatives from 33 

state agencies and 12 local agencies. Professionals from 

the federal and private sector also attended the Workshop, 

which was entirely developed and funded by the National 

Dam Safety Program. The National Dam Safety Program 

has committed funds for four additional dam security 

workshops for state dam safety officials to be held in FY 

2004, and FEMA is working with the states to identify their 

preferred venues. 

Many of the initiatives identified in the National Strategy have 

been a focus of the National Dam Safety Program and its 

partners for many years. One of the greatest challenges for 

DHS and FEMA over the next 2 years will be to coordinate 

the many existing and new activities relating to dam 

security. For example, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

and the Bureau of Reclamation have been very proactive for 

years in developing risk-based profiling systems for dams. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has long been 

a leader in emergency action planning for dams, and its 

training program is highly acclaimed and both nationally 

and internationally recognized. Some of the initiatives 

listed in the National Strategy are the focus of work that is just 

beginning. For example, as research initiatives for dam 

security are further refined and the structures identified 

for their study, development, and implementation, the 

initiatives will be incorporated into the 5-year Strategic Plan 

for Dam Safety Research. Another new initiative that is on its 

way to completion is the establishment of a Dam ISAC. 

Clearly, there are challenges ahead for all in the dam safety 

community. The challenges affect every aspect of the 

way we do business, from our organizational structures 

and partnerships to the new information that must be 

acquired to perform our jobs effectively. Most importantly, 

the National Dam Safety Program is being challenged to 

adapt its philosophy of how to best protect our national 

infrastructure. The National Dam Safety Program, through 

its ongoing and new initiatives, is well positioned to meet 

these challenges and to respond to the priority of the DHS: 

to protect the Nation against future terrorist attacks. 

Since September 11, 2001, 

the National Dam Safety Program 

has been proactive in dealing 

with security threats to dams.
10 

The Federal and State Role in Dam 

Safety and Security

Introduction

In recent years, there has been an ongoing debate over 

the benefits of dams versus the ecological benefit of their 

removal. American Rivers reports that 57 dams in 15 

states and the District of Columbia will be removed in 

2003. Over 100 dams have been removed since 1999, 

when the removal of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec 

River in Maine helped to bring the issue of dam removal to 

national attention. It should be noted that most of the dams 

removed have been low-hazard potential dams of less than 

15 to 20 feet in height.

While there is agreement among proponents and opponents 

of dam removal that the benefits of some dams have 

become obsolete, there also is agreement that many dams 

in the United States continue to provide great benefit, 

including flood control, water supply, recreation, irrigation, 

navigation, power production, and environmental purposes. 

The projects on the Lower Colorado Region of the Bureau 

of Reclamation (Reclamation) are just one example of the 

benefits that dams can provide. The Lower Colorado Region 

encompasses parts of five states that contribute to or draw 

water from the Colorado River. Some of Reclamation’s 

earliest projects, such as the Theodore Roosevelt Dam, 

Hoover Dam, and Parker Dam, are located in the Lower 

Colorado Region. 

Water: In a typical year, the projects supply irrigation 

water to more than 2.7 million acres of land in the 

United States and Mexico, and supply more than 18 

million people with municipal or industrial water. 

Regional dams and reservoirs also help protect water 

users against drought. Since Hoover Dam was completed 

in 1935, there has never been a water shortage on the 

lower Colorado River. 

Hydroelectric power: Hydroelectric power plants at 

Hoover Dam, Davis Dam, Parker Dam, and Senator 

Wash Dam generate nearly 6 billion kilowatt hours of 

electricity in an average year, enough energy to meet the 

average annual needs of more than 3.5 million people. 

Recreation: There are 15 major recreation areas located 

on Reclamation projects in the Lower Colorado Region. 

These include the Nation’s first national recreation site, 

Lake Mead National Recreation area, which encompasses 

Lakes Mead and Mohave. Over 12 million people visit 

the areas each year. 

Flood Control: Although Hoover Dam is the only dam 

on the lower Colorado River with an authorized flood 

control function, all Reclamation dams help prevent or 

minimize damaging floods that once characterized the 

Figure 1: Primary Purpose of Dams in the U.S. Figure 2: Ownership of U.S. Dams

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11

Colorado River and other rivers. Since 1950, benefits 

realized from flood control operation on the Colorado 

River are estimated at over $1 billion.

To inform the public about water resource development 

and the importance that dams and dam safety play in 

maintaining the Nation’s water resources, the United States 

Society on Dams (USSD), in cooperation with the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Association 

of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) and others, recently 

completed a video on the benefits of dams, Water and Dams in 

Today’s World. The videotape is available through ASDSO, USSD, 

and FEMA.

The Federal Emergency 

Management Agency

Dam owners are responsible for the safety and security 

of their dams and for their maintenance, upgrade, and 

repair. Although most of the infrastructure in the United 

States is owned by public entities, the majority of dams 

in the United States are privately owned. In terms of 

regulatory authority, state governments are responsible for 

approximately 95 percent of the dams listed in the National 

Inventory of Dams (NID) and federal agencies regulate 

approximately 5 percent of dams listed in the NID. Given 

the diffuse nature of dam ownership versus regulation in 

the United States, it is apparent that dam safety and security 

are often not solely a federal, state, or local issue. The safety 

and security of a dam can affect persons and property 

across local, state, and even national borders. An incident 

in one area can affect commerce, navigation, and power 

generation and distribution, or it can cause severe damage 

in another area. As a result, there is a reasonable federal role 

to coordinate federal, state, and local efforts to provide dam 

safety and security to citizens. 

Next year will mark 25 years of leadership of the National 

Dam Safety Program by FEMA. Under FEMA’s direction, 

experts, federal agencies, and others are developing and 

providing programs that are focused, coordinated, and 

data driven. The National Dam Safety Program is working 

with the states, individually and through ASDSO, the USSD, 

federal agencies, and other stakeholders in dam safety to 

encourage individual and community responsibility for 

dam safety. 

Two federal organizations that have an important role in 

guiding the direction of the National Dam Safety Program 

are the National Dam Safety Review Board and the 

Interagency Committee on Dam Safety (ICODS), both of 

which are chaired by FEMA.

National Dam Safety Review Board

Authorized under Public Law 104-303 and Public Law 107-

310, the National Dam Safety Review Board provides the 

Director of FEMA with advice in setting national dam safety 

priorities and considers the implications of national policy 

issues affecting dam safety. The National Dam Safety Review 

Board also helps oversee the development and support 

of state dam safety programs by reviewing state progress 

toward meeting all of the criteria listed in the Dam Safety 

and Security Act of 2002, assisting FEMA in the review of 

state dam safety programs, and establishing the reasonable 

costs of implementing a state dam safety program. 

The membership of the National Dam Safety Review Board 

includes the representative from FEMA (the Chair of the 

Board); representatives from four federal agencies that serve 

on ICODS; five members selected by the Director of FEMA 

from among dam safety officials of the states; and one 

member selected by the Director of FEMA to represent the 

private sector.

Interagency Committee on Dam Safety

ICODS, which was established in 1980 and meets quarterly, 

encourages the establishment and maintenance of effective 

federal programs, policies, and guidelines to enhance dam 

safety and security, and serves as the permanent forum 

for the coordination of federal activities in dam safety and 

security. Until January 2003, ICODS was responsible for 

overseeing and coordinating the majority of federal and 

state activities conducted under the National Dam Safety 

Program through its Subcommittees. This oversight and 

coordination role has now passed to the National Dam 

Safety Review Board with the enactment of the Dam Safety 

and Security Act of 2002. 

ICODS, which was formally established by Public Law 104-

303 in 1996, is composed of representatives from all the 

federal agencies that build, own, operate, or regulate dams. 

ICODS Agencies

• Department of Agriculture

• Department of Defense

• Department of Energy

• Department of the Interior

• Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health 

Administration

• Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

• Department of State, International Boundary 

and Water Commission (U.S. Section)

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

• Tennessee Valley Authority
12 

Federal Agencies

Since the enactment of Public Law 92-367 in 1972, which 

authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers 

(Corps) to inventory and inspect non-federal dams, the 

Federal Government’s position concerning the importance 

of correcting safety deficiencies of federal and non-federal 

dams has been quite clear. Presidential involvement, 

including President Carter’s October 1979 Memorandum 

and Executive Order 12148, President Reagan’s letter to 

Senator Paul Laxalt regarding water development programs, 

and President Clinton’s designation of mitigation as 

the cornerstone of the federal multi-hazard emergency 

management system, further emphasized the need for a 

Dept. Dam Inventory Periodic Inspections 

Agency Total Hazard Classification Total Since Last Report 

High Sig. Low Formal Inter. Spec/Const

USDA (Total) 28159 2143 2714 22496 15311 2090 13051 220 

 ARS 1 1 1 1 

 USFS 18141 4061 5241 8841 5102 102 3502 1502 

 NRCS 262293 1737 2190 21611 148004 20804 127004 704 

 RHS 606

 RUS 556

DOD (Total) 888 517 122 249 885 245 638 2 

 USACE 6237 479 88 56 828 233 593 2 

 Army 210 33 27 150 35 4 31 

 Navy 31 5 1 25 8 8 

 Air Force 24 6 18 14 14 

DOE 15 2 1 12 21 21 

DOI (Total) 3199 353 109 2737 1077 556 385 136 

 BIA 286 77 40 169 141 26 62 43/10 

 BLM 534 8 1 525 258 258 N/A9 N/A9 

 BOR 31410 239 11 64 575 169 323 83/ongoing11 

 USFWS 189 12 19 158 103 103 N/A12 N/A12/ongoing11 

 NPS 50513 17 38 450 N/A14 N/A14 N/A14 N/A14 

 OSM 137016 1370

 USGS 1 1

FERC 2557 751 237 1569 3961 463 2942 206/350 

IBWC 7 3 1 3 213 5 208 

MSHA (Total) 1371 262 284 825 4628

 Coal 710 232 237 241 3216

 M/NM 661 30 47 584 1412

NRC 21 21 1217

TVA 49 33 14 2 1586 131 1324 131/0 

Table 1: Summary Status of Dams for Federal Agencies (FY 2002-2003) 
13

National Dam Safety Program to enable federal agencies to 

address dam safety problems expeditiously. 

Below is a description of federal agency responsibilities for 

dam safety. Table 1, Summary Status of Dams for Federal 

Agencies, provides data on the number of dams owned, 

operated, or regulated by each agency. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a major 

planner, designer, financier, constructor, owner, or regulator 

of more than one-third of all the dams in the NID. USDA 

dams provide livestock water, municipal water and 

wastewater, electric power, flood protection, irrigation, fish 

and wildlife habitat, recreation, sediment detention, and 

manure storage and treatment. There are six agencies within 

the USDA involved with dams.

Investigations

& Studies Dam Safety Mods. Dams with Eap’s

‘02-03 Active ‘02-03 Active High Sig.

105 150 90 40 954 278

1

302 502 302 102 3541 1081

755 1005 605 305 600 170

13 31 27 23 484 54

13 28 19 23 459 42

2 25 12

3

3 2

1 18 2 1

131 147 31 49 287 44

94 47 2 5 35 13

2 6 13 1 1 1

26 66 7 4 239 11

9 28 1 11 12 19

N/A15 N/A15 8 28

137 123 71 92 751 237

3 1

14 10 3 1 33 14

1 FS owned and permitted (2001 data). 

2 Estimated; performed by FS (2001 data).

3 Totals include dams with currently unknown but 

probably low hazard classification.

4 Estimated; inspections are performed by NRCS and 

many other organizations without NRCS involvement.

5 Estimated; investigations, studies, or modifications can 

be done by dam owners without NRCS involvement.

6 Estimated; primary agency involvement as lender or 

grantor.

7 Includes 14 dams owned by others in which the Corps 

of Engineers has a substantial interest in the O&M of 

the dam.

8 Pond B Dam at Savannah River Operations Office Site; 

effort is underway.

9 This type of inspection is not performed by BLM.

10 BOR’s 477 dams and dikes listed on the National 

Inventory of Dams are located at 314 individual 

facilities. Of the 314 facilities, 250 are classified as 

high- or significant-hazard facilities. The facility count 

is used for this presentation because inspections, 

investigations, modifications, and EAP’s are counted and 

reported for individual facilities.

11 BOR and FWS perform quality assurance and 

construction contract administration activities on an 

ongoing basis for all dam and dam safety construction 

activities..

12 Inspections are performed by FWS station personnel on 

an ongoing basis. 

13 No nationwide status report and updating since 1993. 

14 Although a number was not provided, NPS reports that 

numerous formal and informal examinations have been 

performed.

15 NPS reports that 167 NPS dams have been identified 

with serious maintenance, operational, structural, or 

public safety type deficiencies. 

16 OSM and MSHA provide dual regulation of OSM dams. 

OSM has initiated activities to coordinate the roles of 

the respective agencies to ensure that the Guidelines are 

being met. 

17 Twelve site inspections covered all 21 structures in 

NRC’s program.
14 

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) owns, operates, and 

maintains dams as part of its ongoing internationally 

recognized research programs in hydrologic, hydraulic, 

and sedimentation processes applicable to dams. ARS 

owns and operates only one NID dam at one ARS 

research facility. 

Farm Service Agency provides financial assistance for dams 

through loans, loan guarantees, and grants to farmers 

and ranchers for land and water resource conservation or 

natural disaster recovery.

U.S. Forest Service (FS) designs, finances, constructs, 

owns, operates, and maintains and regulates dams in 

conjunction with the management of national forests and 

grasslands. FS owns approximately 1,000 NID dams and 

administers permits for approximately 2,000 privately 

owned NID dams.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) designs, 

finances, and constructs dams under its technical and 

financial assistance programs for individuals, groups, 

organizations, and governmental units for water storage, 

sediment detention, and flood protection. The agency 

does not own, operate, maintain, or regulate any dams. 

NRCS has provided technical assistance for more than 

26,000 NID dams and financial assistance for over 

11,000 NID dams.

Rural Housing Service finances dams through loans, 

loan guarantees, and grants to public entities, local 

organizations, and non-profit corporations for rural 

community facilities. The agency does not design, 

construct, own, or operate dams.

Rural Utilities Service finances dams through loans and 

loan guarantees under its Electric Program to cooperative 

associations, public bodies, and other utilities in rural 

areas for hydroelectric and thermal electric power 

plants. The agency also finances dams through loans, 

loan guarantees, and grants to rural communities 

under its Water and Waste Program for water and 

wastewater facilities.

The Department of Defense is involved extensively with 

dams as a permitter, owner, manager, planner, designer, 

constructor, and financier. There are four Department of 

Defense agencies responsible for, or involved with, dams.

Department of the Air Force has dam safety responsibility for 

dams located on Air Force bases in the continental United 

States. The Air Force has jurisdiction over 23 dams.

Department of the Army is responsible for dams that are 

either on Army installations or controlled by Army 

installations. 

Department of the Navy has dam safety responsibility for 

dams located on Navy bases. There are 31 candidate dams 

under Navy jurisdiction for safety inspections.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has varying degrees of 

responsibility or jurisdiction for five categories of dams: 

(1) dams that the Corps of Engineers planned, designed, 

constructed, and operates; (2) dams that the Corps of 

Engineers designed and constructed, but are operated 

and maintained by others; (3) those non-Corps of 

Engineers dams and reservoir projects subject to Section 

7 of the 1944 Flood Control Act, the 1920 Federal Power 

Act, as amended, and other laws for which the Corps of 

Engineers is responsible for proscribing the regulations 

for the use of storage allocated to flood control and/or 

navigation; (4) dams for which the Corps of Engineers 

issues permits under its regulatory authority; and (5) 

dams that the Corps of Engineers inventoried and 

inspected under the National Dam Inspection Act of 

1972, the Dam Safety Act of 1986, and the National Dam 

Safety Program Act of 1996.

The Corps of Engineers operates 237 navigation locks, 

25,000 miles of commercial navigation channel, and 

approximately 1,200 Civil Works projects of varying 

types, including 609 dams, 75 that include Corps 

hydropower plants and 67 non-federal power plants.

The Department of Energy owns and has jurisdiction 

over 15 dams, as defined in the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety, 

at 3 sites. 

As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the 

Department of the Interior (DOI) is responsible for 

most of the U.S-owned public lands and natural resources. 

Through its Bureaus, the Department is responsible for the 

planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance 

of 1,884 dams meeting the definition in the Guidelines. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs works with the American Indian 

Tribes to operate and maintain its 117 high- and 

significant-hazard potential dams on Indian reservations.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for agencyowned dams on public lands in 11 Western States, 

including Alaska. The BLM dam inventory consists of 534 

NID dams.

Bureau of Reclamation is a federal water resource 

management and development bureau authorized to 

operate in 17 Western States. In carrying out its mission, 

Reclamation has developed water resource projects where 

dams play a major role in the viable development of the 

resources. Reclamation has reservoirs impounded by 

477 dams and dikes.
15

U.S. Fish and Wildlife (FWS) operates facilities associated 

with fish and wildlife conservation on National Wildlife 

Refuges, waterfowl production areas, and national fish 

hatcheries. The FWS has an inventory of 189 dams.

National Park Service (NPS) manages 505 stream-flow 

control structures and monitors the status of 265 nonNPS structures which are within or adjacent to park 

boundaries. An important aspect of the NPS dam safety 

program is the removal of dams that are deficient and 

no longer essential for park operations. As land 

is acquired by the National Park System, dams are 

sometimes acquired incidental to the main purpose 

of the acquisition. To date, over 100 dams have been 

removed, with plans to remove more in the future.

Office of Surface Mining (OSM) regulates surface coal mining 

operations and the surface effects of underground coal 

mining operations. The OSM regulates 1,370 structures 

through the Western Regional Coordinating Center in 

Denver and the Knoxville Field Office in Tennessee.

U.S. Geological Survey owns and maintains one low-hazard 

potential earthen embankment that offers no significant 

downstream hazard. 

The Department of Labor responsibility for dam safety is 

vested in one agency. The Mine Safety and Health Administration

receives its authority and responsibility for regulating 

safety and health-related aspects of the miners’ working 

environment from the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act 

of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 801). The Act requires the Secretary 

of Labor to develop and promulgate improved mandatory 

health or safety standards to protect the health and safety 

of the Nation’s coal miners or other miners. The Act 

specifically includes “impoundments, retention dams, and 

tailing ponds” as part of a “coal or other mine.” 

The Department of State responsibility for dam safety 

is vested in one agency. The International Boundary and 

Water Commission, which is composed of a U.S. Section 

and a Mexican Section, has jurisdiction over two large 

international storage dams and four small diversion dams 

on the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers. The U.S. Section 

also is responsible for the maintenance of the American 

Dam and five NRCS arroyo control dams that are not fully 

international in nature.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is 

authorized by the Federal Power Act to issue licenses to 

individuals, corporations, states, and municipalities to 

construct, operate, and maintain dams, water conduits, 

reservoirs, powerhouses, transmission lines, or other 

project works necessary for the development of non-federal 

hydroelectric projects on (1) navigable streams; (2) public 

lands of the United States; (3) at any Government dam; and 

(4) on streams over which the Congress has jurisdiction 

under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. 

As of September 30, 2003, there were 2,557 dams under 

FERC jurisdiction.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has regulatory 

authority over only (1) uranium mill tailings dam; (2) 

storage water pond dams at in-situ leach mining facilities; 

and (3) those dams integral to the operation of licensed 

facilities, or the possession and use of licensed material that 

pose a radiologically safety-related hazard should they fail.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is authorized by the 

Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 to approve plans 

for the construction, operation, and maintenance of all 

structures affecting navigation, flood control, or public 

lands or reservations in the Tennessee River System. The 

agency has complete responsibility for the planning, design, 

construction, operation, and maintenance of its dams.

 The Federal Government’s 

position concerning the 

importance of correcting safety 

deficiencies of federal and nonfederal dams has been quite 

clear. Presidential involvement ... 

further emphasized the need for 

a National Dam Safety Program 

to enable federal agencies to 

address dam safety problems 

expeditiously. 
16 

The States 

The states have primary responsibility for protecting their 

populations from dam failure. Of the approximately 77,000 

dams listed in the NID, state governments have regulatory 

responsibility for 95 percent. Although the programs vary 

in the scope of their authority, program activities typically 

provide for the safety evaluation of existing dams, review 

of plans and specifications for dam construction and major 

repairs, periodic inspections of construction on new and 

existing dams, and review and approval of Emergency 

Action Plans. 

At the state level, efforts to regulate dams to ensure public 

safety surfaced after the failure of the St. Francis Dam 

in California in 1928, the second worst event after the 

Johnstown failure. Around midnight on March 12, the 188-

foot high St. Francis Dam failed. The dam, located about 

60 miles north of Los Angeles, failed suddenly as a result 

of a foundation defect in an abutment. Warnings were not 

issued before the failure, and about 420 people died. 

The failure of the St. Francis Dam led to the enactment of 

legislation in California, which became the model for laws 

in other states. By the mid-1970’s, approximately onehalf of the states had a system for protecting the public 

from the potential hazards of dams. Today, all but two 

states (Alabama and Delaware) have adopted dam safety 

regulatory laws. 

Since its founding in 1984, ASDSO has moved to a 

leadership role in dam safety and now serves as the official 

voice for the states. There are four regions active in the 

support of the Association (Western, Southeast, Northwest, 

and Midwest), 48 full voting members including Puerto 

Rico, and over 2,000 members when Associate, Affiliate, 

and Student members are included. ASDSO was very active 

in FY 2002 and 2003 with activities undertaken on behalf 

of the states and with initiatives funded under the National 

Dam Safety Program. The activities are described in the next 

section of this report. 

The Private Sector

Many organizations are involved in dam safety and 

security. For example, the USSD, formerly the United States 

Committee on Large Dams, was established in the early 

1930’s and is the pre-eminent nationwide professional 

organization that focuses on dams and water resources 

development. USSD represents the United States as one of 

the 82 member countries of the International Commission 

on Large Dams and has served as the private sector member 

of the National Dam Safety Review Board since 

its establishment in 1998. 

There are many national and international organizations with 

interests in dam safety. Some of these organizations include:

National and International Organizations

• American Consulting Engineers Council

• American Planning Association

• American Public Works Association

• American Red Cross

• American Rivers

• American Society of Civil Engineers

• Associated General Contractors of 

America, Inc.

• Association of State Floodplain Managers

• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute

• Electric Power Research Institute

• Institute for Business and Home Safety

• International Association of Emergency 

Managers 

• National Association of Counties

• National Conference of State Legislatures

• National Emergency Management Association

• National Hazards Research and Applications 

Information Center

• National Society of Professional Engineers

• National Watershed Coalition

• Portland Cement Association

• Public Risk Management Association

• Water Environment Federation 
17

Introduction

The Years 2002 and 2003 have been marked by significant 

accomplishments in national dam safety and security. 

Many of the accomplishments are the results of strategies 

and initiatives envisioned or implemented in 1998 and 

1999, the first 2 years of National Dam Safety Program 

funding. Under the leadership of the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency (FEMA), state assistance funds have 

enabled all participating states to better their programs 

through increased inspections, emergency action planning, 

and the purchase of needed equipment. There is now a 

national research program in dam safety that is focusing on 

priorities, producing products for both the layperson and 

the expert, and developing technological tools that drive 

data collection and analysis toward a better understanding of 

risk and remediation needs. In the training arena, FEMA has 

been able to expand existing training programs and begin 

new training programs to enhance the sharing of expertise 

between the federal and state sectors. These and other 

accomplishments in 2002 and 2003 are described below. 

The Dam Safety and Security Act 

of 2002

On December 2, 2002, the Dam Safety and Security Act of 

2002 (Public Law 107-310) was signed into law. Section 

215 of Public Law 107-310 continues the National Dam 

Safety Program with the Director of FEMA as its coordinator. 

The National Dam Safety Program 

in 2002 and 2003

Under the leadership of the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency, state 

assistance funds have enabled all 

participating states to better 

their programs. 

Cheeseman Dam, Douglas County, Colorado. Circa 1910
18 

Dam Safety and Security Act of 2002

Purpose

The purpose of the National Dam Safety Program, as 

expressed in Section 215(a) of Public Law 107-310, 

is to “reduce the risks to life and property from dam 

failure in the United States through the establishment 

and maintenance of an effective national dam safety 

program to bring together the expertise and resources 

of the federal and non-federal communities in 

achieving national dam safety hazard reduction.”

Objectives

The objectives of the National Dam Safety Program 

are to:

n ensure that new and existing dams are safe through 

the development of technologically and economically 

feasible programs and procedures for national dam 

safety hazard reduction; 

n encourage acceptable engineering policies and 

procedures to be used for dam site investigation, 

design, construction, operation and maintenance, 

and emergency preparedness;

n encourage the establishment and implementation of 

effective dam safety programs in each state based on 

state standards;

n develop and encourage public awareness projects to 

increase public acceptance and support of state dam 

safety programs;

n develop technical assistance materials for federal and 

state dam safety programs; 

n develop mechanisms with which to provide federal 

technical assistance for dam safety to the non-federal 

sector; and

n develop technical assistance materials, seminars, 

and guidelines to improve security for dams in the 

United States.

Initiatives

Public Law 107-310 directs FEMA to carry out a number 

of initiatives. These initiatives are summarized below:

n Establish a National Dam Safety Review Board to 

monitor state implementation of Section 215 and advise 

FEMA on implementation of the National Dam Safety 

Program;

n Exercise leadership by chairing the Interagency 

Committee on Dam Safety to coordinate federal efforts 

in dam safety;

n Transfer knowledge and technical information among 

the federal and state sectors;

n Provide for the education of the public, including state 

and local officials, in the hazards of dam failure and 

related matters;

n Provide funding to the states to establish and maintain 

dam safety programs through a grant assistance 

program;

n Provide training for state dam safety staff and 

inspectors;

n Establish a program of technical and archival research to 

develop improved techniques, historical experience, and 

equipment for rapid and effective dam construction, 

rehabilitation, and inspection; devices for the continued 

monitoring of the safety of dams; development and 

maintenance of information resources systems needed 

to support managing the safety of dams; and initiatives 

to guide the formulation of effective public policy and 

advance improvements in dam safety engineering, 

security, and management. FEMA also will provide for 

state participation in research and periodically advise all 

states and Congress on the results of the research; and

n Report to Congress (biennially) on the status of the 

National Dam Safety Program, the progress achieved by 

federal agencies during the 2 preceding fiscal years in 

implementing the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety, and the 

progress achieved in dam safety by states participating 

in the Program. The Report to Congress also will 

include recommendations for legislative or other 

action that the Director of FEMA considers necessary 

to achieve National Dam Safety Program goals and 

objectives.
19

State Accomplishments 

Overview

The National Dam Safety Program empowers the states, 

through grants, technical resources, and training, to 

enhance their own state programs. The nature of this 

program allows the states to identify their own priorities 

where dams are concerned and to take appropriate action 

according to available resources. Funds provided annually 

through grants to state dam safety programs can be 

utilized by the states to develop dam security vulnerability 

screening tools and threat response plans for high-hazard 

potential dams.

The state assistance program is intended to help states bring 

the necessary resources to bear on inspection, classification, 

and emergency planning for dam safety. For a state to 

be eligible for assistance under the National Dam Safety 

Program, the state dam safety program must be working 

toward meeting the following criteria, as listed in Public 

Law 107-310:

• The authority to review and approve plans and 

specifications to construct, enlarge, modify, remove, and 

abandon dams;

• The authority to perform periodic inspections during 

dam construction to ensure compliance with approved 

plans and specifications;

• A requirement that state approval be given on completion 

of dam construction and before operation of the dam;

• The authority to require or perform the inspection 

at least once every 5 years of all dams and reservoirs 

that would pose a significant threat to human life and 

property in case of failure to determine the continued 

safety of the dams and reservoirs, and a procedure for 

more detailed and frequent safety inspections;

• A requirement that all inspections be performed under 

the supervision of a state-registered professional engineer 

with experience in dam design and construction;

• The authority to issue notices, when appropriate, 

to require owners of dams to perform necessary 

maintenance or remedial work, revise operating 

procedures, or take other actions, including breaching 

dams when necessary;

• Regulations for carrying out the legislation of the state;

• The provision for funds to ensure timely repairs or other 

changes to or removal of a dam to protect human life 

and property, and if the owner of the dam does not take 

the action described above, to take appropriate action as 

expeditiously as possible;

• A system of emergency procedures to be used if a dam 

fails or if the failure of a dam is imminent; and

• An identification of each dam whose failure could 

be reasonably expected to endanger human life, the 

maximum area that could be flooded if the dam failed, 

and public facilities that would be affected by the 

flooding.

For a state to qualify for assistance, state appropriations 

must be budgeted to carry out the legislation of the state. 

Figure 3 below shows the status of state compliance with all 

of the legislative authorities listed in the Act.

Figure 3

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20 

Scope of State Assistance

Table 2 lists the state assistance grant amounts (combined) 

allocated by FEMA for FY 2002 and 2003.

Highlights in FY 2002 and 2003

FY 1998 and 1999 was the first period for which the 

states provided FEMA with data on the number of dams 

in their states by hazard classification; the number of dam 

inspections conducted each year; remediation needs; and 

the status of dams with Emergency Action Plans (EAP’s) by 

hazard potential classification. Table 3 compares by state the 

percent of EAP’s by state-regulated high- and significanthazard potential dams for FY 2002 against the data provided 

for FY 2001. 

A comparison of data from the states for 2001 and 2002 

indicates that National Dam Safety Program funding has 

resulted in very significant increases in the number of EAP’s 

over the past 2 years: a 47 percent increase in the absolute 

number of EAP’s for state-regulated high- and significanthazard potential dams, resulting in a 7 percent increase 

in the completion percentage over the last reporting 

cycle. Today, 36 percent of all state-regulated high- and 

significant-hazard potential dams have an EAP. Of the states 

reporting in 2002, 32 states increased the number of EAP’s 

for high- and significant-hazard potential dams, 7 states had 

no change, and only 7 states had a decrease. Of particular 

note are the increases in EAP’s by the States of California 

and Pennsylvania. 

Table 2: State Grant Amounts for FY 2002 and 2003 

State FY 2002/2003 Awards 

(in combined $) 

Alabama* 48,963

Alaska 55,107

Arizona 63,935

Arkansas 76,924

California 137,457

Colorado 160,128

Connecticut 98,825

Delaware* 48,963

Florida 89,431

Georgia 310,349

Hawaii 58,074

Idaho 79,049

Illinois 137,810

Indiana 130,889

Iowa 264,654

Kansas 492,352

Kentucky 121,000

Louisiana 70,857

Maine 93,812

Maryland 75,802

Massachusetts 159,633

Michigan 96,423

Minnesota 198,712

Mississippi 290,362

Missouri 92,752

Montana 251,236

Nebraska 193,323

Nevada 77,285

New Hampshire 106,381

New Jersey 162,882

New Mexico 81,105

New York 186,612

North Carolina 353,007

North Dakota 88,655

Ohio 171,145

Oklahoma 365,791

Oregon 132,089

Pennsylvania 136,469

Puerto Rico 51,498

South Carolina 207,376

South Dakota 209,214

Tennessee 90,068

Texas 526,464

Utah 86,395

Vermont 72,834

Virginia 83,429

Washington 86,184

West Virginia 70,857

Wisconsin 117,197

Wyoming 144,944

*Alabama and Delaware do not participate in the program but 

were provided with funding to establish a legislatively mandated 

state dam safety program.

Figure 4: Number of State Regulated Dams with 

EAP’s, All Hazard Potential

Source: DSMPT

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21

Figure 4 shows the increase in EAP’s for state-regulated 

dams for all hazard potentials from 1998, the first year 

of National Dam Safety Program funding, through 2002 

(data for 2000 was incomplete). The data indicates that 

approximately 4,000 dams had EAP’s in 1998, compared 

to approximately 7,500 dams in 2002. This is a very strong 

indication that National Dam Safety Program funding 

is making excellent strides in realizing one of the most 

important goals for our Nation’s dams: an EAP for 100 

percent of all high- and significant-hazard potential dams. 

The number of dam inspections conducted by the states 

remained fairly constant with the last reporting period, 

but has increased dramatically since data was first collected 

for 1998-1999, from a total of approximately 12,000 

inspections for 1998-1999 to over 14,000 inspections 

for 2002. Figure 5 shows dam inspections for all hazard 

potential dams for 1998 through 2002. 

Table 4 shows the summary status of state dam safety 

programs for the year ending in FY 2002. 

Each step on the road to dam safety is a success, and all of 

the states that have received National Dam Safety Program 

grant funds in FY 2002 and 2003 have achieved successes, 

whether it be through increases in emergency action 

planning and inspections, public and dam owner awareness 

programs, or the implementation of security safeguards 

for dams. 

Table 3: Percent of EAP’s by State-Regulated Highand Significant-Hazard Potential Dams

State FY 01 

Percent

FY 02 

Percent

% Change

Alabama*

Alaska 19 30 +21

Arizona 75 68 -7

Arkansas 33 39 +6

California 28 100 +72

Colorado 99 100 +1

Connecticut 42 42 0

Delaware*

Florida 89 99 +10

Georgia 4 4 0

Hawaii 4 17 +13

Idaho 70 53 -17

Illinois 48 55 +7

Indiana 3 3 0

Iowa 0 0 0

Kansas 7 21 +14

Kentucky 1 0 -1

Louisiana 5 16 +11

Maine 22 45 +23

Maryland 63 70 +7

Massachusetts 14 8 -6

Michigan 62 80 +18

Minnesota 17 16 -1

Mississippi 4 4 0

Missouri 7 9 +2

Montana 43 42 -1

Nebraska 30 31 +1

Nevada 13 10 -3

New Hampshire 70 84 +14

New Jersey 46 59 +13

New Mexico 1 5 +4

New York 18 20 +2

North Carolina 7 8 +1

North Dakota 1 2 +1

Ohio 15 22 +7

Oklahoma 58 58 0

Oregon 23 29 +6

Pennsylvania 18 79 +61

Puerto Rico 32 31 -1

Rhode Island 0 0 0

South Carolina 90 100 +10

South Dakota 17 18 +1

Tennessee 37 42 +5

Texas 6 6 0

Utah 47 26 -21

Vermont 0 10 +10

Virginia 96 97 +1

Washington 30 37 +7

West Virginia 49 61 +12

Wisconsin 21 26 +5

Wyoming 19 20 +1

*Did not submit data.

Figure 5: Timeline of Number of Inspections, All 

Hazard Potential

Source: DSMPT

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22 

Table 4: Summary Status of Dams by State

State # National Inventory # State Regulated 

Total High Sig. Low Total High Sig. Low 

Alabama 2104 171 427 1506 0 0 0 0 

Alaska 114 23 32 59 81 16 28 37 

Arizona 258 87 46 125 258 87 46 125 

Arkansas 1226 164 214 848 402 101 93 208 

California 1223 332 687 204 1223 332 687 204 

Colorado 1861 318 310 1233 1737 276 296 1165 

Connecticut 706 226 452 28 706 226 452 28 

Florida 773 101 259 413 773 101 259 413 

Georgia 4409 500 0 3909 3824 400 0 3424 

Hawaii 131 55 13 63 131 55 13 63 

Idaho 361 94 128 139 439 97 144 198 

Illinois 1286 172 279 835 1309 172 279 858 

Indiana 1055 257 296 502 1129 239 250 640 

Iowa 3309 79 188 3042 3286 73 187 3026 

Kansas 5859 188 344 5327 5820 192 265 5363 

Kentucky 943 213 208 522 905 212 208 485 

Louisiana 361 13 52 296 360 12 52 296 

Maryland 299 60 76 163 352 63 80 209 

Massachusetts 1619 324 743 552 1556 296 726 534 

Michigan 902 143 173 586 811 90 162 559 

Minnesota 798 40 145 613 712 24 126 562 

Mississippi 3433 275 74 3084 3433 275 74 3084 

Missouri 4216 630 1010 2576 646 236 204 206 

Montana 3134 123 156 2855 2872 98 126 2648 

Nebraska 2157 108 245 1804 2157 108 245 1804 

Nevada 418 120 106 192 602 128 121 353 

New Hampshire 616 87 188 341 826 85 190 551 

New Jersey 777 194 372 211 1651 194 372 1085 

New Mexico 522 179 97 246 386 152 87 147 

New York 1891 379 776 736 1891 379 776 736 

North Carolina 3170 1320 922 928 5055 1320 922 2813 

North Dakota 772 27 93 652 722 18 87 617 

Ohio 1728 470 550 708 1728 470 550 708 

Oklahoma 4511 183 88 4240 4388 143 78 4167 

Oregon 833 122 181 530 1204 122 181 901 

Pennsylvania 1414 811 209 394 1310 757 228 325 

Puerto Rico 35 34 1 35 34 1 

Rhode Island 509 17 40 452 528 17 41 470 

South Carolina 2309 138 479 1692 2301 136 477 1688 

South Dakota 2468 84 155 2229 2323 47 144 2132 

Tennessee 1061 266 330 465 606 147 198 261 

Texas 8060 852 788 6420 8060 852 788 6420 

Utah 639 222 210 207 633 197 208 228 

Vermont 344 54 130 160 538 54 130 354 

Virginia 1570 155 285 1130 519 113 132 274 

Washington 806 209 242 355 674 137 219 318 

West Virginia 414 342 61 11 355 269 73 13 

Wisconsin 1210 226 188 796 991 176 157 658 

Wyoming 1299 77 110 1112 1373 77 110 1186 
23

# Dam Inspections # EAP’s

Total High Sig. Low High Sig.

0 0 0 0 0 0 

14 5 7 2 11 2 

94 68 6 20 66 24 

362 101 97 164 76 0 

789 196 461 132 332 687 

625 213 189 223 276 296 

49 32 6 11 160 126 

1050 150 700 200 101 256 

1305 400 0 905 14 0 

66 50 6 10 3 1

383 84 126 173 90 37

130 72 25 33 135 115

182 35 26 121 160

107 38 59 1000

75 26 33 16 86 10

259 65 86 10800

142 10 44 8831

132 55 33 44 54 46

131 37 42 52 65 16

178 15 24 139 81 121

65 25 19 21 240

208 150 10 48 131

204 167 25 12 25 15

10 1000 932

352 36 53 263 1037

278 132 41 105 232

181 29 46 106 85 147

217 65 58 94 178 157

202 91 49 62 120

493 196 230 67 182 53

1893 556 275 1062 175 17

161 14 52 9511

126 68 38 20 127 94

1111 136 75 900 1244

137 21 35 81 72 15

608 470 86 52 671 111

11 1100 110

6300 6300

200 120 800 152 477

68 15 12 41 305

346 148 101 97 1432

94 46 22 26 979

340 190 104 46 1050

55 25 228 153

90 36 34 20 111 127

66 24 32 10 90 41

319 220 936 161 46

28 105 13 71 16

315 17 42 256 334

Accomplishments with State 

Assistance Funds in 

Fy 2002 and 2003 • Dam safety-related training for 

state personnel

• Improvements in security and 

safeguards for dams

• Training of dam owners to 

conduct annual maintenance 

reviews 

• Purchase of equipment, including 

state-of-the-art computer 

systems and software; new 

equipment to aid in engineering 

analysis; video inspection 

cameras to inspect conduits 

through dams; laptop computers 

for use in the field to complete 

inspection reports; surveying 

equipment; and vehicles for use 

in inspections

• Revision of state operations and 

maintenance guidelines

• Increase in the number of dam 

inspections

• Increase in the submittal of 

EAP’s

• More timely review and issuance 

of permits

• The testing of EAP procedures 

through actual simulations of 

dam failures 

• Improved coordination with state 

emergency preparedness officials

• Improvements to dam inventory 

databases

• Improved telecommunications • Identification of dams to be 

repaired or removed

• Conduct of dam safety 

awareness workshops

• Development of proposals to 

strengthen dam safety rules

• Creation of dam safety videos 

and other outreach materials

• Development of public 

relations plans and dam safety 

newsletters
24 

Research

Research is critical to the Nation’s agenda for dam safety 

and security. Research funding under the National Dam 

Safety Program has addressed a cross-section of issues 

and needs, all in support of ultimately making dams in 

the United States safer. In April 1999, the first full year 

of program funding, the Interagency Committee on Dam 

Safety (ICODS) Research Subcommittee developed a list of 

research needs and priorities for dam safety. Over the past 

5 years, research funds have been allocated to workshops 

in the priority areas. As information has become available 

from the workshops, laymen’s guides, expert level guides, 

and research workshop summaries have been produced. 

As envisioned in 1999, one of the primary purposes of 

the research workshops was the development of a Strategic 

Plan for National Dam Safety Research. The draft Strategic 

Plan, completed in September 2003, identifies the longterm priorities for dam safety and security research and 

prototype implementation activities. 

Below are summaries of some of the projects sponsored 

with research funds under the National Dam Safety Program 

in FY 2002 and 2003. A description of the National 

Inventory of Dams (NID), Dam Safety Program Management 

Tools (DSPMT) program, and the National Performance 

of Dams Program (NPDP), all of which received funding 

in FY 2002 and 2003, can be found in this section under 

Information Technology. 

Dam Seepage Monitoring System

Completed with research funding, the Dam Seepage 

Monitoring System is an interactive tool designed to help 

dam owners and operators store instrument measuring 

data on their personal computers and to transfer that 

information to state dam safety offices for evaluation, 

thereby improving the safety of their dams. The Dam 

Seepage Monitoring System will be upgraded in FY 2004 

to make the software Internet accessible. The Dam Seepage 

Monitoring System is available at no cost from FEMA.

Research Workshops

Research workshops sponsored with National Dam Safety 

Program funds in FY 2002 and 2003 included:

• Issues, Remedies, and Research Needs Related to 

Hydrologic Issues (November 2001, Davis, California, 

Organized and Conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers (Corps), Hydrologic Engineering Center)

• Issues, Remedies, and Research Needs Related to 

Spillways (August 2003, Denver, Colorado, Organized 

and Conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation 

(Reclamation))

• Issues, Remedies, and Research Needs Related to Seismic 

Issues, Part II, Ground Motions (September 2003, 

Organized and Conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, Engineering Research & Development Center)

The first research workshop for FY 2004, Issues, Remedies, 

and Research Needs Related to Outlet Works, will be held in 

January 2004 in Denver, Colorado. 

Research Products

Reports from the research workshops assist the 

Research Work Group and other groups in reviewing 

recommendations and developing a strategy for extending 

the state-of-the-practice. 

As the first part of a two-phased project, ASDSO recently 

completed the final technical guidebook, A Technical Manual on 

the Effects of Tree and Woody Vegetation Root Penetrations on the Safety of 

Earthen Dams. The second phase of the project will include a 

guidebook that focuses on animals and a layman’s brochure 

on both plant and animal effects on earthen dams. The 

brochure will be added to a series of layman’s brochures 

available to dams owners through ASDSO.

Other products scheduled for completion next year include 

a manual for seepage and internal erosion associated 

with conduits. Reclamation is leading the project, 

with contributions from the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission (FERC) and the Corps. 

Bibliography of Dam Safety Practices

To launch an effective and efficient research program, the 

Research Subcommittee recommended that all relevant 

research data be collected and compiled on the history 

of dam safety engineering in the major technical areas. 

To address this need, ASDSO developed a comprehensive 

Bibliography of Dam Safety Practices using its national networking 

capabilities. The effort, which began in 1999, continues 

today. The Bibliography is updated on a weekly basis 

and is fully searchable online at ASDSO’s web site at 

www.damsafety.org.

The Cost of Rehabilitating our Nation’s Dams

In the spring 2003, ASDSO completed The Cost of Rehabilitating 

our Nation’s Dams: A Methodology, Estimate & Proposed Funding 

Mechanisms. Funded in part through the National Dam Safety 

Program, the report provides a formula for estimating the 

cost of rehabilitating all non-federally owned dams in the 

United States that require rehabilitation. The report also 

includes recommendations for funding sources, such as a 

federally supported revolving loan fund for dam repair, dam 

rehabilitation and, where appropriate, dam removal. The 

report is available through ASDSO. 
25

Feasibility Report on National Risk Indexing Procedures

One recommendation from the Research Workshop on Risk 

Assessment was the development of national risk indexing 

procedures. ASDSO recently completed a feasibility 

report that focuses on the evaluation of current risk 

indexing procedures. The report discusses the feasibility 

of developing a national procedure that could be used by 

any dam safety agency or owner to prioritize risk across a 

number of dams.

Training

Since the inception of the National Dam Safety Program 

in 1979, FEMA has supported a very strong, collaborative 

training program for both dam safety professionals and 

dam owners. With the training funds provided under 

the 1996 Act and the Act of 2002, FEMA has been able to 

expand existing training programs, begin new initiatives 

to keep pace with evolving technology, and enhance the 

sharing of expertise between the federal and state sectors. 

Training activities conducted in FY 2002 and 2003 are 

described below. 

Regional Technical Seminars and State Training Assistance

For many years, ASDSO has been FEMA’s most important 

partner in the National Dam Safety Program. Each year, 

in addition to its annual conference, ASDSO conducts four 

regional technical seminars. In 2002, ASDSO held one 

seminar in each of its regions on construction inspections 

and plans and specifications review and on earthquake 

engineering for dams. In 2003, ASDSO conducted technical 

seminars on soil mechanics, construction inspections and 

plans and specifications review. 

Training funds for state dam safety officials have been a 

mainstay of the National Dam Safety Program. Each year, an 

amount is provided to each of the officials so that they can 

attend the training of their choice. This flexibility allows 

the states to focus their training on their specific needs.

National Dam Safety Program Technical Workshop Series

A major training initiative is the National Dam Safety 

Program Technical Workshop Series. The idea for a series of 

technical workshops originated with ICODS in 1992. The 

goal then, as it is now, was to invite recognized authorities 

in the engineering field to discuss analysis techniques, 

construction methods, and other issues that can increase the 

expertise and information available to all of the engineers 

in the dam safety community. For the first few years of the 

Technical Workshop Series, the majority of attendees were 

representatives from federal agencies. With the passage of 

the 1996 Act, FEMA was able to make the Workshop Series 

more national in scope, and more inclusive of state and 

local dam safety personnel and the private sector. 

For the last 5 years, training funds have been set aside 

for state dam safety officials to attend the Workshops. 

To date, 10 Technical Workshops have been held. On 

February 20-23, 2002, Technical Seminar No. 9, Inspection, 

Interpretation, and Follow-Up, was held at FEMA’s 

Emergency Management Institute (EMI). Over 300 people 

attended the course, including 87 state participants. In 

February 2003, close to 300 people attended National 

Dam Safety Program Technical Workshop No. 10, Dam Site 

Security-Threat, Consequence, and Vulnerability Assessments 

and Security Plan Effectiveness. Technical Seminar No. 11, 

Addressing Hydrologic Inadequacy, will be held at EMI on 

February 18-19, 2004.

Over the years, the Technical Workshops have hosted a preeminent roster of speakers on topics such as liquefaction 

susceptibility, mitigation strategies for dam safety, dam 

breach analysis and maximum precipitation, and spillway 

gates. The National Dam Safety Program will not abandon 

these traditional training topics, but rather will seek 

opportunities to enhance them with security components 

so that they compliment the security mission of the 

Department of Homeland Security. 

HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS Training 

HEC-RAS is the Corps Hydrologic Engineering Center 

(HEC) River Analysis System (RAS). The HEC-RAS software 

analyzes networks of natural and man-made channels 

and computes water surface profiles based on steady onedimensional flow hydraulics. The HEC-HMS is the HEC 

Hydrologic Modeling System (HMS) designed to simulate 

the precipitation runoff processes of dendrite watershed 

systems. Training in both HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS has 

been a priority for state and federal training efforts. Each 

year, the National Dam Safety Program supports a HEC-RAS 

course and a HEC-HMS course at EMI. 

Training Aids for Dam Safety 

One of the most successful training initiatives is the 

Training Aids for Dam Safety (TADS) program, which 

consists of 21 modules covering topics from inspection 

to evaluation to emergency planning. The TADS program 

consists of three parts: (1) the inspection component, in 

which state regulators are taught how to conduct a dam 

safety inspection; (2) the awareness component, which 

emphasizes dam safety mitigation; and (3) the analysis 

component, in which state regulators are taught how to 

analyze dam safety data. EMI is currently working on webbased updates to three of the TADS modules: the inspection 

of embankment dams module and the modules on 

evaluation of seepage conditions and how to develop and 

implement an EAP. The TADS modules are used extensively 

by state dam safety personnel and the federal agencies.
26 

State Peer Review Program

Each year, FEMA provides funds to ASDSO to assist in 

its peer reviews of selected state and federal dam safety 

programs. In FY 2002 and 2003, ASDSO conducted peer 

reviews of five states and the City of Seattle. Through the 

program, experienced dam safety professionals from state, 

federal, and the private sector review program procedures 

and interview staff using the ASDSO Peer Review Procedures 

Manual, thereby identifying areas that need improvement.

Multi-Hazard Building Design Summer Institute Course

Every other year, FEMA provides National Dam Safety 

Program training funds to EMI to support the Multi-Hazard 

Building Design Summer Institute (MBDSI) course in dam 

safety. The MBDSI courses are updated on a yearly basis to 

support engineering and architectural faculty. In June 2003, 

the MBDSI dam safety course was held at EMI. The next 

dam safety course will be held at EMI in June 2005.

Emergency Action Planning

An EAP is essential to address the potential for loss of life 

and damage to property and the environment should a 

high-hazard or significant-hazard potential dam fail. EAP’s 

are the principle tool used by emergency management 

personnel and first responders to warn and evacuate the 

vulnerable population below the dams. The states are being 

strongly urged to develop and exercise EAP’s for all highand significant-hazard potential dams owned by the state. 

Emergency action planning is a major initiative of the 

National Dam Safety Program, with a goal of 100 percent 

participation for all high- and significant-hazard potential 

dams. The National Dam Safety Program has supported 

numerous activities in emergency action planning for both 

federal and state agencies, including a videotape training 

production; training courses for state dam safety officials on 

the development and exercise of an EAP; workshops to assist 

in the development of EAPs; the development by ICODS of 

the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: Emergency Action 

Planning for Dams; and laymen’s guides on the importance 

of emergency action planning.

As discussed in the next section of this report, the 

National Dam Safety Program has identified FERC as the 

national expert on emergency action planning and the 

agency has taken the lead in guiding a national program 

on emergency action planning and implementation. 

The latest EAP initiative undertaken by FERC was the 

pre-conference United States Society on Dams (USSD) 

workshop on emergency preparedness and security at dams 

held in Charleston, South Carolina in April 2003. This 

workshop was a follow-on event from the International EAP 

Worskshop co-sponsored by FERC and ASDSO in Niagara 

Falls, New York. 

Information Technology 

The spectrum of information needs extends from those 

in Congress who set national priorities and allocate 

fiscal resources to those of the dam owner and engineer 

involved in inspections, operations and maintenance, 

dam safety modifications, and other day-to-day activities 

of maintaining safe, economically viable facilities and 

environmentally responsible structures. Given the rapid pace 

of technology, those in a leadership role must recognize and 

make the best use of tools to accomplish their objectives. A 

primary objective of FEMA in its leadership of the National 

Dam Safety Program is to identify, develop, and enhance 

technology-based tools that can help educate the public and 

assist decision-makers. 

National Inventory of Dams 

The NID is a computerized database of dams in the United 

States used to track information on our water control 

infrastructure. The primary source for disseminating 

the data is the Internet. The NID also includes Internetbased tools to query the data, and features a Geographic 

Interface System (GIS) interface that allows for the display 

and analysis of data. Access to the NID is available at http:

//www.tec.army.mil/nid/. The current NID contains 

over 77,000 dams. It is a dynamic on-line database with 

scheduled periodic updates and interim updates (as 

improved data is received from participants).
27

Information from the NID is used in the development of 

water resource management, land use management, flood 

plain management, risk management, and emergency action 

planning. The NID update process involves a partnership of 

68 states, territories, and federal agencies, in coordination 

with the Corps, FEMA, and ASDSO.

Congress authorized the Corps to inventory dams in 

the United States with the National Dam Inspection Act 

(P.L. 92-367) of 1972. The NID was first published in 

1975, and has been periodically updated thereafter. The 

Water Resources Development Act of 1986 (P.L. 99-662) 

authorized the Corps to maintain and periodically publish 

an updated NID, and Section 215 of the Water Resources 

Development Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-303) re-authorized 

periodic update and provided a continued funding 

mechanism. 

These updates capture more accurate and more 

comprehensive data on existing dams, changes in existing 

dams, and new dams. For example, each dam in the NID is 

assigned a downstream hazard potential classification (by 

the appropriate regulating authority), based on the potential 

loss of life and damage to property should the dam fail. 

With the changes in demographics and post-construction 

land development in downstream areas, hazard potential 

classifications need to be updated continually to reflect the 

dam’s current status. 

Software to help data owners (states and federal agencies) 

compile, manage, and report inventory data has been 

developed and deployed. These software tools enabled data 

owners to review inventory changes, correct mistakes, and 

easily send inventory updates to the Corps in 2002. The 

software also resulted in the receipt of more consistent 

data, with correct inventory codes, and enabled resolution 

of discrepancies between data owners. This software is also 

being used by states and some federal agencies for other 

reporting purposes, which helps accomplish the goal of 

one-time data entry for reporting to various organizations 

for inventory or safety program information.

As the update process continues, the quality of information 

at all levels in the Nation’s dam safety community continues 

to improve. State inspections and data sharing among 

state and federal agencies will verify or amend existing 

data, and identify or complete missing information. The 

key advantages of this methodology are that it leverages 

the economic advantages of a partnership effort, fosters 

cooperation among state and federal agencies, and 

strengthens risk management and decision-making at 

the state and national level.

Roosevelt Dam and Power House, Arizona. 1913
28 

Data from the NID can be analyzed to provide decisionmakers with statistical information such as the following:

• National development of water control infrastructure is 

shifting from a construction phase to a maintenance and 

rehabilitation phase.

• About 21 percent of the dams in the NID have a high- or 

significant-hazard potential classification. Downstream 

hazard potential classifications of high, significant, or low 

are assigned to each dam in the NID to identify the risk 

dams can pose due to failure or negligent operation.

• About 29 percent of all dams nationwide have an EAP, 

as described by the Guidelines. These guidelines state that 

an EAP, commensurate with dam size and location, 

should be formulated for each dam. EAP’s have been 

prepared for 60 percent of the dams with high-hazard 

potential and 80 percent of dams with significant-hazard 

potential. With an increased risk of terrorism against our 

infrastructure, EAP’s are even more critical than before, 

and can provide an additional measure of protection for 

downstream residents and dam owners. 

In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 

2001, there has been an increased focus on infrastructure 

protection nationwide. Following the attacks, the Corps 

removed the NID from public access while the open 

availability of the NID with 44 fields of information was 

analyzed. The ICODS NID Subcommittee concluded that 

most of the NID data did not pose significant security 

risks to the Nation’s dams, and was information that could 

reasonably be obtained by the general public through other 

means, such as almanacs. As a result, the Subcommittee 

recommended to the Corps that the NID be restored to 

public access. The Corps Headquarters Dam Safety Officer 

concurred, and the NID was restored to public Internet 

access in August 2002, but with removal of the data fields, 

“Nearest City/Town” and “Distance to Nearest City/Town.” 

The Corps is participating in a Federal Geographic Data 

Committee focus group to develop security guidelines for 

publication of geospatial data, which includes analysis of 

the NID.

Dam Safety Program Management Tools 

Since authorization and implementation of the National 

Dam Safety Program, it has become increasingly clear that 

there are broad information needs required to support 

dam safety. These data needs include documenting the 

condition of the Nation’s dams; tracking the existence and 

progress of dam safety programs; and supporting dam 

safety professionals who are responsible for evaluating and 

maintaining the safety of dams in the United States

Satisfying many of these data needs is the DSPMT. The 

DSPMT is an information collection and management 

system that is controlled locally by federal and state dam 

safety program managers and which interacts with national 

external cooperative information resources for providing 

as-requested and periodic information on local dam safety 

information, program needs, and accomplishments within 

each organization’s jurisdiction.

The purpose of the DSPMT is to provide dam safety 

program managers with a tool to collect unbiased data 

about dams and dam safety programs, check selected data 

for accuracy, and then utilize the data to achieve an accurate 

local and national inventory of dams. The DSPMT helps 

address programmatic questions such as:

• How well are our dam safety programs being 

implemented?

• Are we doing too much in some areas and not enough 

in others?

• Are we spending our scarce resources in the right places?

• Are we improving?

Figure 6

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29 The DSPMT consists of a set of interactive software 

programs that provide a resource to dam safety data 

owners, managers, and data providers. The DSPMT includes 

three distinct, complementary, and interoperable software 

programs:

• The Dam Safety Program Performance Measures (DSPPM)

• The NID Electronic Submittal Workflow

• Handheld Computer-based Inspection Checklists

The performance measures, or indicators, use unbiased 

data to assess effectiveness of dam safety programs and 

organizations in seven key areas. Data entered into 

the database at each organizational level can be used 

individually and/or collectively as input at the next higher 

level to evaluate program performance on broader and 

broader scales (e.g., district, division, agency, state). The 

performance measures can be used by organizations such 

as FEMA, the National Dam Safety Review Board, ICODS, 

ASDSO, and the USSD to evaluate the health and progress 

of dam safety programs on a national scale. 

The NID Electronic Submittal Workflow software is a natural 

extension of the NID and part of the DSPMT to help users 

provide a consistent, error-checked electronic submittal 

of inventory information. The NID Electronic Submittal 

workflow is graphically represented in the User Interface 

form shown in Figure 6.

By performing data submittal workflows at the state and 

agency level, those most familiar with the data and most 

qualified to make any changes, specifically the data owners, 

managers, and data providers, are kept in the loop by the 

program as it highlights areas in the data that potentially 

need attention, modification, or double-checking. By 

performing these workflows at the state and agency level, 

and by using the original data from the day-to-day dam 

inventory management tools, the data quality and accuracy 

of the submittal is significantly enhanced.

In 2002, the DSPMT was utilized for collecting inventory 

information to update the NID. As shown in Figure 7, 

13 federal agencies and 43 states provided inventory 

information in electronic format.

Of those 43 states, 26 directly utilized the DSPMT to 

generate an electronic submittal. The remainder provided 

data in other types of electronic submittals that were then 

easily converted into DSPMT format for integration with the 

other submittals.

The DSPMT Handheld PC-based Inspection Checklist 

software consists of a single standardized application 

for the collection and updating of performance measure 

information, NID information, and a number of flexible 

and configurable “plug-in” applications for dam safety 

inspection checklists. These plug-in applications are 

available for a variety of organizations, including the FERC, 

Figure 7: NID Electronic Submittal Status (4/5/2003)

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30 

Reclamation, Arizona, and New Mexico. Based on feedback 

from these organizations, the inspection checklist software 

continues to evolve and improve. 

The use of the DSPMT by federal agencies and the states 

is illustrated in the information flow overview shown 

in Figure 8. An organization’s local inventory of dams, 

in a variety of data formats, can be imported into the 

DSPMT and used as the local inventory of dams for 

numerous functions, including performance measure data 

submittals, NID data submittals, generation of the FEMA 

State Evaluation Criteria Report, and providing incident 

information to the NPDP.

With continued reductions in budgets and staffing, both 

federal and non-federal dam safety programs are in need of 

continuous efficiency and effectiveness improvements. In 

addition, there is an ever-increasing need for performancebased reporting internally and to FEMA, Congress, and 

State Legislatures. The DSPMT provides the tools necessary 

for evaluating dam safety programs, for reporting 

accomplishments, and for expressing program needs to 

others. 

National Performance of Dams Program

The NPDP is a national effort to retrieve, archive, and 

disseminate information on dams and their performance 

in the United States. The NPDP was founded (and is 

headquartered) at Stanford University, with financial 

support provided by FEMA. Working with professional 

associations and federal and state agencies, the NPDP 

receives reports on dam incidents, i.e., events that relate 

to the structural and operational integrity of dams. The 

mission of the NPDP is to provide information resources 

that support public and private efforts to improve 

dam safety, dam design and rehabilitation, and the 

implementation of effective public policy. As part of its 

mission, the NPDP operates a database and library on 

the performance of dams to meet the needs of dam 

safety professionals. The NPDP home page address is 

http://npdp.stanford.edu/.

Condition Rating of Dam Conduits

As part of research work supported by the National Dam 

Safety Program, the NPDP has developed an approach to 

predict the condition of metal conduits in embankment 

Figure 8: DSPMT Information Flow

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31

dams. Utilizing the results of dam safety inspections from 

the states of New Jersey, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, 

and Oklahoma, a condition rating system was used to 

characterize the condition of metal conduits. Using this 

data, along with the age of the dam, a statistical model was 

developed to predict the condition of metal conduits as a 

function of age. The results of this assessment, combined 

with the recommendations of the dam inspectors, allow us 

to predict as a function of age the likelihood that a conduit 

will require repair or replacement. This result is illustrated 

in Figure 9. 

Prototype Dam Inspection Reporting

A major challenge facing dam safety today is the need 

to develop and maintain information resource tools that 

support day-to-day dam safety activities, as well as longterm program needs, e.g., planning, policy, scheduling. 

As part of a recent project, the NPDP and dam safety 

professionals from Ohio have developed a prototype webbased system to compile dam safety inspection results, 

such as photographs and observations, and generate a 

draft inspection report that utilizes data available in the 

NPDP database to populate the report. The report also 

includes governing regulations, dam safety findings and 

recommendations, and fact sheets for dam owners. The 

development of this prototype highlights the tremendous 

opportunities that exist to develop applications that can 

support the day-to-day activities of dam safety professionals, 

eliminate redundant data entry, improve data accuracy, 

enforce information standards, increase program efficiency, 

and retain information for easy retrieval. This work was 

partially supported by the National Dam Safety Program.

Digital Library and Database

As part of the support provided by the National Dam 

Safety Program, the NPDP has established a bibliographic 

database and interface with the Stanford University Library 

digital archive project. Utilizing the extensive investment 

the university has made in software and hardware systems 

to construct a digital archive, the NPDP is able to build 

an archive that takes advantage of the university’s secure 

digital infrastructure while at the same time remaining 

autonomous with respect to user access and other factors. 

With this system in place, NPDP must begin to populate the 

digital archive. 

The NPDP web site provides users with access to 

information and a variety of tools that includes:

• NPDP Dams Directory 

• Availability of an online dam failure consequence 

database

• Photographs from dam inspections, dam incidents and 

failures (the NPDP currently has over 10,000 digital 

photographs in its archive) 

• Online dam incident reporting capability, including the 

uploading of digital documents, i.e., inspection reports 

and photographs

• Real-time e-mail notification to FEMA dam safety officials 

and other federal officials of dam failures that have 

occurred

• Online capability for users to generate reports (graphs, 

spreadsheets and tables) on recent dam incident 

notifications.

With the support of NDSP funding, the NPDP serves a wide 

range of users, including dam safety professionals, dam 

owners, insurance companies, policy makers, researchers, 

and students. 

Figure 9: Prediction of the likelihood of metal 

conduits requiring repair or replacement as a 

function of age.

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32 

The October 4, 1979 Presidential memorandum that 

directed federal agencies responsible for dams to adopt and 

implement the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety also directed 

the heads of these agencies to submit progress reports to 

the Director of Federal Emergency Management Agency 

(FEMA). Since that initial report in 1980, the Director of 

FEMA has solicited follow-up progress reports from the 

agencies at 2-year intervals.

In June 2004, the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety will be 

25 years old. All of the federal agencies responsible for 

dams are implementing the provisions of the Guidelines, 

sharing resources whenever and wherever possible to 

achieve results in dam safety, and developing strategies to 

address diminishing resources and decreases in staffing 

levels. Many of the federal agencies also initiated security 

activities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 and 2003. These 

activities are described below along with the activities 

covered by the Guidelines.

Security Activities

Although security is not specifically addressed by the 

Guidelines, many of the federal agencies reported on security 

activities undertaken since September 11, 2001, to protect 

their dams against threats. 

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in conjunction 

with the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), 

performed security assessments using RAM-D of its 29 

dams with a high-hazard potential classification. As a 

result of the assessment, security upgrades have begun or 

have been completed on 17 dams. During its response 

to the major security threat caused by the September 11 

attack, TVA also identified the need to improve interagency 

emergency procedures, communication, and coordination. 

Since the attack, TVA has developed and implemented 

an agency emergency response plan that provides for 

coordinated interagency response to agency-level threats of 

all types. 

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Security 

Program for Hydropower Projects was created in FY 

2002 in response to September 11. The Security Program 

provides guidance to FERC staff and licensees to coordinate 

and complete security activities at hydropower dams under 

FERC jurisdiction. In FY 2003, the Security Program 

underwent its first revision; a simplified vulnerability 

and security assessment tool was developed by FERC; 

jurisdictional dams were inspected for the adequacy of 

on-site security; FERC staff participated in several national 

working groups and committees to coordinate the national 

response to security at dams; and substantial progress was 

made in the creation of a national Dam Sector Information 

Federal Agency Programs
33

Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) for the purpose of 

collecting and disseminating threats and security incidents 

at dams. 

Over the past 2 years, the Corps has embarked on a 

program of protecting its infrastructure. A great deal of 

time was invested in training staff to conduct security risk 

assessments at its dams. A total of 353 of the most critical 

structures were analyzed using the RAM-D program. 

Security plans using cameras, barriers, fencing, and changes 

in operational procedures have been implemented at these 

projects. At other projects, assessments were performed 

to determine how security could be improved without 

affecting the dam operation or the ability of the public to 

enjoy the resources. 

Both the U.S. and Mexican Sections of the International 

Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) have tightened 

access to their respective projects. The U.S. Section has talks 

underway with the Corps regarding risk assessments of 

IBWC’s two large dams.

The administrative framework of the Bureau of Reclamation 

(Reclamation) changed in response to the events of 

September 11. The Dam Safety Office moved from the 

Director of Operations to the newly created Security, Safety, 

and Law Enforcement (SSLE) Office, which focuses on risk 

management activities. The Director, SSLE, reports directly 

to the Commissioner of Reclamation and is responsible 

for security and safety issues at Reclamation structures. 

Reclamation also implemented processes for assessing, 

evaluating, and addressing security risks. During this 

reporting period, Reclamation assessed and evaluated 

security at 55 of its most significant hazard facilities.

Federal Agency Accomplishments

Below is a description of federal agency activities during 

FY 2002 and 2003 in some of the areas covered by the 

Guidelines.

Organization, Administration, and Staffing

As in previous reporting periods, reductions in staffing 

levels for dam safety remain a concern at some agencies. 

According to the Corps report, there are serious challenges 

facing its dam safety organization and the dam safety 

community in the United States. In FY 2002 and 2003, 

several Districts and Divisions lost experienced dam safety 

engineers and engineering technicians due to attrition. 

Additional attrition and retirements in the next 3-5 years 

will seriously affect the Corps’ ability to adequately staff 

dam safety offices in several locations. To combat the 

loss of expertise, the Corps has implemented a number 

Diversion Dam via Mesa, Arizona. 1908
34 

of initiatives to maintain a viable and well qualified 

workforce, including a proactive dam safety program that 

provides a variety of analysis and rehabilitation design 

and construction opportunities for its professionals and 

extensive training and research and development programs.

The Corps also reports that the Corps Dam Safety Officer 

(DSO) established the Corps of Engineers Dam Safety 

Program Management Team (CEDSPMT) in 2002. The 

CEDSPMT is empowered to develop and implement a 

strategic plan and a long-range plan for the Corps Dam 

Safety Program, including a mission statement, goals, 

objectives, and performance measures. The team, which 

meets at least twice each year, establishes the Corps Dam 

Safety Standards and monitors district compliance. 

TVA continues to maintain an adequate staff of experienced 

dam safety engineers in all disciplines. However, due to 

anticipated retirements, a structured engineering graduate 

progression program was implemented in 2003 to develop 

the expertise in entry-level engineers. An enhanced 

document management program also has been initiated 

to provide timely and accurate information that is easily 

accessible and retrievable from the engineer’s desktop 

computer. Both programs are intended to maintain an 

efficient and expert workforce. 

The staffing trends at Natural Resources Conservation 

Service (NRCS) are more positive this year than in previous 

reporting cycles. NRCS dam engineering expertise and 

staffing levels also have declined over the past decades as 

overall federal dam design and construction activity has 

decreased. NRCS installed more than 1,200 new Inventorysize dams in 1965 but less than 100 in 1990, and probably 

less than 50 in 2000. The number of engineers and 

engineering technicians in NRCS has declined over most 

of the past decade, but has increased over the past 2 years 

to address new agency programs and authorities, including 

watershed dam rehabilitation. NRCS established a National 

Design and Construction Center in 2000, and this staff 

has become a significant internal source of dam expertise. 

NRCS also has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 

with Reclamation to collaborate and share technology 

and resources on water resource activities. NRCS and the 

Corps have established liaison positions to share program 

and technical resources for water resource projects. All of 

these evolving contracts and partnerships will significantly 

supplement NRCS technical capacity to work on dams in 

coming years. 

The FERC reports that its Dam Safety Program staff, which 

includes 98 technical personnel, is adequate and competent 

in hydrology, hydraulics, civil engineering, geology, 

engineering geology, field investigations and inspections, 

and geotechnical and structural design. When the need for 

additional expertise arises, FERC employs qualified outside 

consultants to provide an independent assessment or to 

supplement staff expertise. 

Reclamation reports that it has excellent management 

and technical staff resources to accomplish its dam safety 

activities in accordance with the Guidelines. The maintenance 

of technical expertise continues to receive the attention of 

Reclamation’s leadership. Reclamation has implemented a 

workforce capability planning process that uses a strategic 

planning approach to match staff resources with future 

program needs. Reclamation staff increased from 5,700 

employees in June 2001 to 6,000 employees in June 2003.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was required to 

provide responses to each of the 35 items requested for 

this progress report and to compare the results to identical 

items in the FY 2000 and 2001 progress report. For 

the adequacy of state dam safety organization and staff 

category, 67 percent of respondents noted adequacy in this 

area. Alternately, 33 percent of the respondents expressed 

concern about their staffing levels, stating that additional 

full-time equivalent (FTE) are needed. BLM noted an 

increase of 9.2 percent in FTE’s performing dam safety 

activities from the last reporting period, from 76 FTE to 83 

FTE. The BLM also reported a 26.1 percent increase in dam 

safety program activities in the FY 2002 and 2003 period, 

compared to FY 2000 and 2001. 

Dam Inventories

The Navy reports almost a 100 percent increase in the 

number of its dams from the last reporting period, from 16 

to 31. Six of the dams are classified as high- or significanthazard potential.

An ongoing NRCS effort was begun in 2000 to update the 

hazard potential classification of all NRCS-assisted project 

dams over 5 years. As part of this effort, Oklahoma NRCS 

has inspected, digitally photographed, and located by global 

positioning system (GPS) more than 2,000 of their project 

dams over the past year. Similar ongoing efforts in other 

NRCS States will significantly improve dam inventory data, 

particularly for project dams over the next 5 years.

The National Park Service (NPS) reports that some of its 

dams (both NPS and non-NPS) are having their downstream 

and public safety hazard potential classifications increased 

because of greater visitor and employee activity downstream 

and around dams and impoundments. At Cumberland Gap 

National Historical Park in Kentucky, an intermediate size, 

downstream high-hazard potential classified dam is being 

considered for acquisition for watershed protection and has 

been updated accordingly in the NPS Inventory of Dams. 
35

Inspection Programs

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) continues 

to use the technical assistance of the FERC to assist with 

dam safety inspections at NRC licensee facilities. During 

this reporting period, FERC personnel, accompanied by 

NRC staff, completed inspections at 12 licensee facilities, 

7 of which are nuclear safety-related dams at nuclearpowered electric generating facilities and 5 of which are or 

were formerly associated with the extraction of uranium. 

No unsafe dams or improper classifications have been 

identified. Inspections of Department of Energy (DOE) 

dams also are conducted by FERC under a DOE-FERC 

Memorandum of Agreement. 

During this reporting period, 5-year inspections were 

performed on the IBWC Amistad, Falcon, Anzalduas, and 

Retamal Dams using Technical Advisors from the Corps. 

International Dam is scheduled to be inspected by U.S. 

Section and Mexican Section staff in late 2003. 

As in the last reporting period, the Corps reports that 

updated hydrologic and meteorological criteria, along 

with a more detailed hazard classification procedure and 

new development around downstream of the reservoir, 

have prompted a change in classification from low- to 

significant-hazard or high-hazard potential at several dams. 

The Corps again reports that it is increasingly difficult to 

properly staff inspections with experienced dam safety 

personnel, especially at smaller districts. In these cases, 

resource sharing among districts is available to help 

minimize the challenges. In addition, a number of young 

engineers are included on the inspection teams for training 

purposes. 

The Army reports that 35 dams were inspected out of an 

inventory of 210 dams during the reporting period. The 

Army notes that the biggest problem with inspections is 

obtaining the funding to conduct the inspections, and that 

most inspection results indicate that the dams do not meet 

current criteria and will need additional work to meet 

current criteria. 

Dam Safety Rehabilitation Programs

For project dams, the NRCS was authorized under the Small 

Watershed Amendments of 2000 to provide technical and 

financial assistance for rehabilitation, which is defined in 

the statute as “all the work necessary to extend the service 

life of the structural measure (dam) and meet applicable 

safety and performance standards.” NRCS was appropriated 

$10 million in 2002 and $30 million in 2003 to begin 

this work. Most of the initial implementation effort has 

been to communicate this new authority to eligible dam 

owners, receive and process applications for assistance, 

rank applications with a risk-based profiling system, assess 

individual dam rehabilitation needs, develop watershed 

work plans, and begin the design process. Almost 100 

applications for rehabilitation have been received and 

are at various stages of completion. Construction will 

be completed on several dams during the reporting 

period. Sandstone Creek #17A in Oklahoma was the first 

rehabilitation completed with these appropriations on June 

17, 2003. 

The DOE reports that rehabilitation efforts are currently 

taking place at Pond B Dam at the Savannah River 

Operations Office Site. The project is in final design phase 

to correct seepage problems on Pond B. It is anticipated that 

construction will start in the second quarter of FY 2004.

The NRC reports that two embankment dams at Ambrosia 

Lake, New Mexico, that were added to the program 

have maintenance issues that would normally require 

rehabilitation. Both dams, however, are currently under 

reclamation and are expected to be decommissioned in the 

next reporting period.

Management Effectiveness Reviews

During this reporting period, the Mine Safety and Health 

Administration (MSHA) completed an internal review 

of its impoundment safety program. The review was 

prompted by an accident that occurred in Martin County, 

Kentucky, on October 11, 2000, when slurry broke into an 

underground mine from an impoundment and flowed into 

two tributaries of the Big Sandy River. As a result of the 

internal review, MSHA is adopting new guidelines to make 

sure that significant new impoundment plans get prompt 

and thorough review by Technical Support specialists, while 

eliminating backlogs of plans waiting approval. MSHA also 

will issue a new impoundment inspection handbook by 

March 2004 and review technology to help verify the exact 

extent of underground workings shown on mine maps. 

The October 2000 slurry release accident also prompted 

Congress to provide funding for the National Research 

Council to examine ways to reduce the potential for similar 

accidents. The Council appointed a Committee on Coal 

Waste Impoundments, which issued a report in 2001 that 

contained a number of recommendations for MSHA and 

the Office of Surface Mining (OSM). In response to the 

report, MSHA and OSM established several work groups to 

address the issues. Reports prepared by the work groups are 

currently being reviewed within the agencies in preparation 

for responding to Congress and the Council.

In FY 2002, Reclamation participated in a benchmarking 

exercise organized by TVA that addressed the costs of 

administering a dam safety program. Approximately 15 

major dam owners participated in the study.
36 

Dam Safety Training Activities

Training continues to be a strong component of the 

federal programs in dam safety. The main thrust of TVA’s 

training continues to be on-the-job training under the 

supervision of experienced engineers and inspectors. 

In addition, TVA conducts Dam Safety Awareness and 

Emergency Preparedness training programs that are 

required curriculum (including both classroom and handson instruction) for staff in all TVA organizations who could 

be involved in a dam safety event. Technically qualified 

TVA project personnel are trained in inspection procedures, 

problem detection, evaluation, and appropriate remedial 

(emergency and non-emergency) measures. 

The Corps has an extensive program for training personnel 

in all matters related to its missions in water resources 

development; much of the training is directly or indirectly 

related to dam safety. The program, which provides 

training for engineers and dam operation and maintenance 

personnel, consists of seminars and conferences, formal 

classroom training, and periodic on-site training. Practical 

on-the-job-training is continually provided using formal 

exercises simulating dam safety emergencies. Alert 

notification tests, which are conducted at the project level, 

involve various levels of the Corps organization as well as 

other federal, state, and local officials. The Corps’ 2003 

Infrastructure Systems Conference included 3 full days 

of dam safety specific presentations and many additional 

presentations related to the various structural, mechanical, 

and electrical elements of dams.

Headquarters NRCS conducted three regional workshops for 

employees last year on the needs, program requirements, 

watershed planning policies, and design criteria applicable 

to rehabilitating existing project dams under new small 

watershed rehabilitation authorities. Oklahoma NRCS 

conducted a workshop on dam hazard classification for 

employees in several surrounding states and Utah NRCS 

reported dam inspection training of 20 employees. Many 

NRCS staff also cooperate with their state dam safety agency 

and other organizations to conduct joint training seminars 

and workshops, such as national workshops with the 

National Watershed Coalition. 

At the FERC, internal staff training courses during the 

reporting period included a HEC-RAS course held at Penn 

State University, a Dam Safety Performance Monitoring 

Program (DSPMP) Workshop, and Security and Vulnerability 

Assessment training. FERC staff also developed and 

conducted a 2-day emergency preparedness and security 

workshop that was held in conjunction with the United 

States Society on Dams (USSD) annual conference in 

Charleston in April 2003. 

Reclamation continues to perform, support, and 

participate in a variety of dam-safety related training 

activities. The Department of the Interior (DOI) held 

annual DOI Dam Safety Coordinators Meetings in May 

2002 and April 2003. Representatives from the DOI 

Bureaus, various Tribes, the Corps, NRCS, the Forest 

Service (FS), FEMA, and the Association of State Dam 
37 Safety Officials (ASDSO) attended both meetings. 

Reclamation continued to participate in a cooperative 

effort with DOI, ASDSO, the Louisiana Department of 

Transportation, and Southern University at Baton Rouge, 

Louisiana to provide a Dam Safety Training Program as 

part of the University’s curriculum. Reclamation also 

sponsored weeklong seminars on the Safety Evaluation of 

Existing Dams (SEED) in May 2002 and 2003. Although 

the seminars are based on Reclamation’s SEED program, 

many other state and federal agencies participate in the 

seminar. Reclamation also continues to administer the 

Training Aids for Dam Safety (TADS) program. 

Historically, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 

has provided training to refuge and hatchery staffs, dam 

tenders, and regional dam safety representatives. As a result 

of a previous DOI Peer Review recommendation, the FWS 

has initiated a servicewide dam safety training program. 

The objective was to provide dam safety training to all field 

stations where high- and significant-hazard potential dams 

are located. The FWS has completed the training and plans 

to repeat the training cycle on a 5-year interval.

Dam Failures and Remedial Actions

During the week of May 4, 2003, rainfall resulted in a 

major flood event on the Tennessee River System. The 

system of TVA dams was operated to ensure the safety of 

all dams while minimizing flood damage to flood prone 

areas. Activities conducted during the flood event included 

providing flood warning notifications to state and local 

emergency management agencies and providing flood 

information to communities, businesses, and individuals 

in response to numerous requests. The operation of the 

reservoir system resulted in over $440 million in averted 

flood damage. The flooding triggered inspections at 

26 TVA dams, reading of structural and geotechnical 

instrumentation at all projects, and analyzing the data 

for any problems. Over 1,000 instrumentation readings 

were taken and analyzed. Even though some damage was 

incurred, the safe operation of the reservoir system was not 

jeopardized.

Emergency Action Planning

The FERC training program is highly acclaimed and both 

nationally and internationally recognized. The National 

Dam Safety Program has identified FERC as the national 

expert on emergency action planning and the agency has 

taken the lead in guiding a national program on emergency 

action planning and implementation. The FERC program 

was the first to be fully developed for dam owners, and 

99.9 percent of FERC jurisdictional dams requiring an 

Emergency Action Plan (EAP) have one, compared to a 

national average of only 29 percent. 

Although there are practical considerations that limit the 

feasibility of conducting full-scale exercises of an EAP, FERC 

is requiring its licensees to conduct functional exercises to 

involve emergency preparedness agencies in EAP testing. 

The functional exercise, which is preceded by orientation 

seminars, annual drills, and a tabletop exercise, includes 

representatives from licensees and all involved agencies 

to test the EAP under stressful, timed conditions. The 

exercise evaluates the effectiveness of the notification plan, 

inundation maps, and actions that local agencies take after 

they receive notification that an emergency is occurring at 

a dam. FERC continues to aggressively pursue the higherlevel EAP exercise (tabletop and functional) to incorporate 

the local and state disaster preparedness agencies. Under the 

FERC EAP exercise program, each licensee and exemptee 

with a high-hazard potential dam conducts a tabletop and 

a functional exercise of an EAP on at least one of its dams 

during a 5-year period. 

Recently, FERC made special efforts to increase the spirit 

of cooperation and coordination between dam owners 

and the local response agencies associated with their EAP’s. 

As a result, representatives from state dam safety offices, 

local and state emergency response agencies, floodplain 

managers, the National Emergency Management Association 

(NEMA), FEMA, and the National Weather Service (NWS) 

have been invited to FERC EAP training courses. The 

exchange of information among these agencies and 

licensees has resulted in an improved understanding of 

the needs of each participant, and will greatly improve 

the likelihood of saving lives if an emergency should 

occur. FERC also has recently initiated efforts to encourage 

Electric Power Dam at Thompson Falls, Montana. 1915
38 

licensees to develop EAP exercises that include active 

participation by upstream and downstream dam owners. 

The latest EAP initiative undertaken by FERC was the preconference USSD workshop on emergency preparedness 

and security at dams held in Charleston, South Carolina in 

April 2003. This workshop was a follow-on event from the 

International EAP Worskshop co-sponsored by FERC and 

ASDSO in Niagara Falls, New York. 

The U.S. Section of the IBWC has an EAP in place for each 

of its two large storage dams (Amistad and Falcon) as well 

as Anzalduas and Retamal International Diversion Dams. 

In FY 2002, a series of four International Sister Cities 

Exchange Workshops were held at Amistad Dam, Falcon 

Dam, Mercedes Texas, and Nuevo Laredo. The workshops 

were attended by a wide spectrum of civil and political 

authorities from the United States and Mexico. Because of 

internal training requirements, participation in FY 2003 

will be restricted to IBWC, U.S. and Mexico, and the NWS. 

Wider participation is planned for FY 2004.

TVA conducted two functional level exercises during the 

reporting period (Blue Ridge Dam and Guntersville Dam). 

TVA personnel participating in the drills and exercises 

included engineers, police, reservoir system forecasters, 

hydro operations and maintenance staff, land specialists, 

and media relations and communications staff. Area 

representatives from local and state emergency management 

agencies also participated at the invitation of TVA. TVA also 

conducted 43 Dam Safety Awareness classroom training 

sessions for TVA project, security, and field personnel during 

the reporting period.

The DOE reports that EAP’s have been prepared and 

approved for all dams that are hydrologically defined as 

high- or significant-hazard potential. All plans have been 

tested and retesting is planned every 3 years.

As noted above, the Navy reports an increase of 15 dams 

in its inventory from the last reporting period. Of the 

31 dams, 6 are classified as high- or significant-hazard 

potential. However, the Navy does not indicate that any 

of the six dams has an EAP in place. The Air Force lists six 

significant-hazard dams in its inventory, and states that the 

dams, all located at the Air Force Academy, are being studied 

to determine if an EAP is required.

The Corps reports that dam safety emergency exercises were 

conducted at a number of Corps dams during the reporting 

period to test Flood Emergency Action Plans (FEAP’s). The 

exercises simulated a dam failure or a condition that could 

lead to a failure if appropriate action were not taken. In 

addition, a number of EAP’s were tested at a number of 

other Corps dams by actual extreme flood events. Several 

smaller scale emergency exercises were held with other 

agencies and state and local governments.

The NRCS has no authority to require the development 

of EAP’s on existing dams, but does have current policy 

to require development of plans before construction is 

initiated on new or rehabilitated dams. However, recent 

dam inventory data still shows that over 1,000 NRCSassisted high-hazard potential dams do not have EAP’s. 

NRCS recently updated and issued a revised National 

Operation and Maintenance Manual that contains extensive 

new policy, guidance, and examples of EAP’s. NRCS also 

constantly assists dams owners to develop EAP’s. For 

example, Alabama NRCS reported completing an EAP for 

a dam on the U.S. Army Annison Ordnance Depot and 

assisting in EAP development on 17 other dams. Arkansas 

NRCS reported assisting with EAP development on one dam 

and assisting with a tabletop exercise on another dam.

The FS reports that all FS-owned dams that require an EAP 

have an EAP. The agency notes that some EAP’s are in need 

of review and update, and few are tested on a routine basis. 

FS policy requires coordination with local officials. 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) states that one of its 

objectives is the implementation of an EAP for all of its 

high- and significant-hazard potential dams. The BIA 

currently has 48 dams with EAP’s in place; however, many 

of these existing documents require revisions to meet 

current guidelines for EAP’s. BIA also reports that the 

number of dams requiring EAP’s continues to increase as 

dams are reclassified from a low-hazard to either a highhazard or significant-hazard potential classification. Early 

Warning Systems are in place for 57 BIA dams.

The National Park Service (NPS) cooperates with other dam 

owners whose structures affect the National Park System 

by preparing and annually updating early warning, search/

rescue, and evacuation plans for affected NPS areas in the 

event of large releases from, or the failure of, a non-NPS 

dam. The NPS has informal agreements with some local 

owners and communities to ensure the safety of the public 

and the protection of the resource.

The FWS reports that all high- and significant-hazard 

potential dams have EAP’s. The FWS continues to 

implement an annual testing program for EAP’s that consists 

of a simplified test. The simplified test determines if the 

EAP is available and up-to-date and if the communication 

network is current. The FWS is in the process of updating 

the EAP’s for all high- and significant-hazard potential 

dams to ensure that they are in conformance with current 

Reclamation, FEMA, and ICODS guidelines. 

Reclamation reports that all of its high- and significanthazard potential facilities have EAP’s in place. The EAP’s are 

annually updated and exercised every 3 years, according 

to Reclamation’s directives. State and local government 

officials, emergency management personnel, and law 
39

enforcement agencies are encouraged to participate. During 

this reporting period, Reclamation continued to strengthen 

its Emergency Management Program.

Research and Development and Special Initiatives

Today’s challenge of security threats, aging dams, limited 

resources, and the future increased reliance on the services 

that dams provide are among the most complex issues faced 

by the dam safety profession. Many federal agencies have 

active research and development programs that address 

these issues.

MSHA is now exploring the possibility of updating its 

Engineering and Design Manual: Coal Waste Disposal 

Facilities. The manual was published in 1975 following 

the Buffalo Creek waste dam failure. Significant changes 

have occurred over the years in the design of mining 

impoundments. Areas of interest include design measures 

to deal with underground mine workings and the seismic 

stability evaluations of upstream construction dams. As 

these and other design aspects are unique to mining 

impoundments, an updated design manual would be 

highly beneficial to the mining industry, impoundment 

designers, and regulatory reviewers. Recognizing the 

unique challenges associated with ensuring the seismic 

stability of coal waste impoundments, MSHA co-sponsored 

a workshop with the National Science Foundation (NSF) 

and Case Western Reserve University in October 2003 on 

the seismic stability of coal mine waste impoundments. 

As a result of incidents where mining operations have 

accidentally cut into unmapped or inaccurately mapped 

underground workings, Congress has appropriated funds 

to MSHA for digitizing mine maps and for funding 

projects to develop and demonstrate technology for the 

detection of underground mine voids. This effort will 

promote technology that will improve the safety of mine 

tailings dams by improving the industry’s ability to locate 

abandoned mines. The results of test programs will be 

disseminated throughout the mining industry. 

A special initiative of the FERC dam safety program 

during this reporting period was its ongoing work in the 

development of a dam safety performance monitoring 

program. About 70 percent of the approximately 2,600 

dams under FERC regulation are over 50-years-old. In light 

of the aging of FERC dams and construction and design 

standards that were not in existence when the dams were 

built, FERC is developing a program to properly monitor 

dams so that they remain in safe operating condition. 

FERC has progressed through the analysis phase of the 

program, which examined all high- and significant-hazard 

potential dams under current engineering criteria, and 

has substantially completed the remediation phase, which 

implemented any needed repairs and improvements. 

In October 2001, FERC initiated a cooperative effort 

among licensees, independent consultants, and FERC 

staff to develop a program that includes failure mode and 

consequences analyses as a feature of its performance 

monitoring program, with the goal of identifying those 

performance parameters that need to be monitored. The 

committee developed guidelines that were tested on eight 

dams in 2002. FERC’s Dam Safety Performance Monitoring 

Program (DSPMP) guidelines were published in March 

2002 and have been incorporated into its Engineering 

Guidelines as Chapter 14. Beginning in the first quarter of 

calendar year 2002, the DSPMP has been made a part of 

FERC’s Part 12D Independent Consultant’s Safety Inspection 

Program. 

Two Corps research studies focus directly on dam safety: 

the Risk Analysis for Dam Safety Research Program and the 

Earthquake Engineering Research Program. The objective 

of the Risk Analysis for Dam Safety Research Program 

is to develop and implement risk analysis methods to 

(1) prioritize dams requiring initial investigations and 

subsequent analyses; (2) prioritize funding for crucial 

repairs, rehabilitation, or modifications; (3) select and 

justify the optimal plan to protect human life, reduce 

property damage, and mitigate environmental damage; (4) 

minimize the disruptions of services; and (5) maximize the 

effectiveness of infrastructure investments. The objective 

of the Earthquake Engineering Research Program is to 

reduce damage from a potential devastating earthquake by 

advancing state-of-the-art knowledge of earthquake hazard 

assessment, seismic design, and remediation of Corps 

dams and other infrastructure. Dam safety-related studies 

conducted during this reporting period in the risk analysis 

program include prioritization procedures for dam safety 

projects; estimating loss of life from dam failure; assessing 

hydrologic loading uncertainty; statistical analysis of dam 

failures; and probability of failure of gates, equipment, and 

warning systems. 

The results of Corps research and development efforts are 

directly incorporated into practice within the Civil Works 

Program through the Civil Works Guidance Maintenance 

Program. The Corps also has the lead in the coordination 

and maintenance of the National Inventory of Dams (NID) 

and in coordinating the development of the Dam Safety 

Program Management Tools (DSPMT) software, both of 

which are described in the previous section. 

The NRCS and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are 

continuing a major, long-term research and development 

effort to model erosion processes in earth spillways during 

flood flows and on embankment dams during overtopping 

flows. NRCS and the ARS have monitored earth spillway 

performance during flood flows since 1983 and continue 

to build a database of performance based on spillway 

geometry, flood flow, and soil and rock parameters. ARS 

also has conducted extensive laboratory and field research 
40 

at its research facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma to define 

erosion thresholds and headcut advancement processes. 

This work culminated in a mathematical model to predict 

initial failure of spillway vegetation, initial gully formation, 

and progressive advancement of the headcut through the 

spillway. This model has been documented in many ARS 

journal papers and several NRCS technical handbooks. 

The earth spillway erosion model has been incorporated 

into existing NRCS dam design software and the software 

renamed SITES. NRCS and ARS continue work to extend 

these erosion threshold and headcut advancement models to 

predict the performance of earth dams during overtopping 

and breaching flows. ARS researchers also have collaborated 

with researchers doing similar work in Europe and 

have observed their test failures. Initial findings will be 

presented at professional meetings as results are analyzed. 

Reclamation continues to emphasize the use of risk analysis 

in its evaluation processes. Collaboration with the Canadian 

Electric Association, especially British Columbia Hydro, 

and Australian interests continues as Reclamation further 

develops and refines risk analysis approaches. Reclamation 

also is collaborating with the Corps on risk analysis. In 

FY 2003, Reclamation revised its Guidelines for Achieving Public 

Protection in Dam Safety Decision Making, which was previously 

transmitted in 1997. The document provides risk guidelines 

for dam safety issues and has been successfully incorporated 

into Reclamation’s dam safety process. Reclamation also 

continues to develop and refine a guideline entitled Dam 

Safety Risk Analysis Methodology, a working guideline on risk 

analysis methods and associated appendices that define 

procedures for estimating risk. Reclamation also had the 

lead in planning and hosting two workshops supported by 

ICODS on spillway issues and hydrologic research needs.

In FY 2002, the BLM entered into a service agreement with 

Reclamation to have a hazard risk analysis performed on 

high-hazard and significant-hazard potential dams in the 

BLM inventory. Reclamation uses its Risk-Based Profile 

System (RBPS) with information from the BLM’s Technical 

Priority Rating report to conduct the analysis. BLM recently 

received a copy of the RBPS report and is reviewing the 

findings and recommendations.

The FWS has used Reclamation’s RBPS to evaluate all of 

its high- and significant-hazard potential dams. The FWS 

plans to evaluate the RBPS and other risk analysis tools and 

to continue to incorporate risk analysis in the dam safety 

evaluation and decision-making process. The FWS also 

plans to develop a risk-based indexing system to serve the 

specific needs of all of its inventoried dams.

State Dam Safety Agency Involvement

Over the past 2 years, TVA has increased efforts to establish 

and maintain contact with state and local emergency 

management agencies (EMA’s) located in areas affected 

by TVA dams. Activities by TVA emergency preparedness 

staff include attending state-sponsored regional meetings 

where revised EAP’s are distributed and current dam 

safety activities are discussed with local and state EMA 
41 representatives; conducting visits with county EMA’s to 

build working relationships and for EAP distribution and 

exercise planning and coordination; and expanding the 

scope of functional exercises to involve state and local 

EMA’s, including activation of local emergency operation 

centers and involvement of local government officials.

The Corps reports that it developed a partnership 

agreement with ASDSO in September 2003. The goals 

and objectives of the agreement include encouraging a 

continuing dialogue between the Corps and ASDSO on 

national and state issues of importance to dam safety, 

the promotion of professional and ethical dam safety 

engineering practices, and an increase in the diversity in 

the dam safety engineering profession. 

NRCS policy is to support and complement strong state dam 

safety programs and to establish working arrangements in 

each state. NRCS Headquarters and ASDSO have a MOU to 

regularly exchange information on dam safety activities, 

provide data to the NPDP, maintain data in the NID, and 

share research and technology. The MOU further encourages 

each NRCS State office to develop individual memoranda 

with their state agencies. Most NRCS States have met with 

state agencies to discuss the NRCS aging watershed issue 

and recent rehabilitation authorities. 

The FS encourages involvement with the states in all aspects 

of dam safety and the FS regions have MOU’s with most 

states. The FS encourages the states to assume jurisdiction 

for permitted dams and to become involved in the 

management of FS-owned dams. 

Reclamation continues to maintain strong working 

relationships with state dam safety agencies. Reclamation 

has MOU’s with each of the 17 Western states where it has 

facilities. Annual meetings between Reclamation and the 

states are conducted and state representatives participate 

with Reclamation staff on dam safety inspections. The 

states also participate with Reclamation on specific issues 

associated with individual structures, such as modifications, 

reservoir restrictions, and environmental concerns.

During all formal NPS and Reclamation evaluations, 

the states are invited to participate. State dam safety and 

environmental program representatives provide helpful 

suggestions in managing NPS dams and monitoring 

non-NPS dams. Those states that have been particularly 

active with the NPS Dams Program are Massachusetts, 

Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North 

Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Wyoming, Washington, Tennessee, 

and Colorado.

Wilson Dam, Tennessee River, Tennessee. 1924
42 

Focus on the Future 

opportunity for the National Dam Safety Program. The 

initiatives for dams that are listed in the National Strategy 

will all have major consequences for mitigation, and will 

require that the DHS/FEMA work in close cooperation with 

other federal departments, agencies, and programs, state 

agencies, and the private sector on cross-sector initiatives 

to identify, assess, and protect dams and other vulnerable 

structures. The National Dam Safety Program has already 

begun the transfer of best practices on threat assessment and 

will continue to enhance and expand these efforts.

The aging of dams in the United States presents another 

challenge. The 2003 Progress Report for America’s Infrastructure 

(American Society of Civil Engineers, September 4, 2003) 

states that there are now more than 2,600 unsafe dams in 

the United States, an increase of 23 percent from 2 years ago. 

The 2003 Progress Report also states that the number of highhazard potential dams has increased since 2001 from 9,921 

to 10,049 in 2003. These statistics focus on the crux of one 

of the most important issues: the aging of the Nation’s water 

infrastructure and how we will cope with the problem. The 

dam safety community is working on a number of options 

to address the issue, including model loan programs for the 

repair of dams, dam removal projects, and rehabilitation 

programs. Some progress is being made through the repair 

of small watershed dams constructed with assistance from 

the United States Department of Agriculture since 1948. 

There are challenges ahead for everyone in the dam safety 

community. The challenges will affect every aspect of the 

way we do business, from our organizational structures and 

partnerships to the new information we will have to acquire 

to perform our jobs effectively. Most importantly, we are 

being challenged to adapt our philosophy of how to best 

protect the national infrastructure. Under the leadership of 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the 

National Dam Safety Program is well positioned to meet 

these challenges. 

The September 11 terrorist attacks have brought an 

increased focus on infrastructure protection nationwide, 

including the security of dams. Addressing this most 

important issue is a priority of the national dam safety 

agenda. The National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical 

Infrastructures and Key Assets identifies two major challenges 

for dams: limitations in resources and assessment and 

management of risk. The resources available to protect 

dam property vary greatly from one category to the next. 

The distributed nature of dam ownership also complicates 

assessment of the potential consequences of dam failure for 

certain categories of dams. Given these realities, the need to 

develop more comprehensive mechanisms for assessing and 

managing risks to dams is clear. The integration of security 

safeguards for dams into sector-wide initiatives identified by 

the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a major 

Stanely Lake Dam Dedication, Colorado. 1911
43

Other issues relate to the identification and classification of 

dams, including the number of unregulated dams that have 

not been reported to the National Inventory of Dams; the 

number of dams that have not been classified correctly; and 

whether the classification of a dam has changed over time, 

particularly in light of increases in downstream populations. 

A number of federal agencies are increasing their focus on 

the development of risk analysis methods and the best ways 

in which to incorporate risk analysis into evaluation and 

decision-making processes. This is one of the six initiatives 

for dams discussed in the National Strategy.

Emergency action planning continues to be of critical 

importance to the safety and security of dams in the 

United States. Over 60 percent of non-federal high-hazard 

potential and significant-hazard potential dams do not have 

an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to address the potential for 

loss of life and damage to property and the environment 

should the dam become a target of terrorist attack and fail. 

EAP’s are the principle tool used by first responders to warn 

and evacuate the vulnerable population below the dams. 

The states are being strongly urged to develop and exercise 

EAP’s for dams that may be targets. This is one of the six 

initiatives for dams discussed in the National Strategy. The 

exemplary emergency action planning program established 

by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) 

incorporates all of the procedures and products needed for 

the implementation and exercise of EAP’s among all sectors. 

The FERC program can be readily adapted to incorporate 

security safeguards.

Meeting information resource needs in dam safety 

continues to be a challenge. It is clear that a comprehensive 

information resource system is now needed. The National 

Dam Safety Program has developed a Strategic Plan to 

establish a national dam information resource system that 

will bring together a great amount of information with the 

goal of improving dam safety nationally. The development 

of a national dam information resource system is important 

as the system can be used for future developments and 

improvements in dam safety, with the ultimate goal of 

benefiting society and, in particular, protecting the public. 

The proposed eDams network, if implemented, must be 

integrated within a sector-wide critical infrastructure 

database envisioned by the National Strategy.

To address these and other challenges, FEMA has set a 

number of priorities for the next 2 years. The priorities 

include the following:

• FEMA will review the protocols for safety inspections of 

dams and security inspections of dams to determine how 

the protocols can be combined for maximum efficiency.

• In 2003, FEMA released a new multi-hazard version of 

HAZUS that includes revisions to the earthquake loss 

estimation and adds capabilities to estimate losses from 

flood and hurricane wind hazards. HAZUS is a valuable 

risk assessment tool for planners, including dam safety 

officials.

• As part of the Flood Mapping Modernization Program, 

FEMA is looking at ways that map modernization can 

enhance dam safety.

• A major opportunity will be to study and develop 

improved safety monitoring and surveillance tools and 

techniques. Through the National Dam Safety Review 

Board, FEMA will look at tools designed to enhance 

the ability of dam owners to monitor the safety and 

performance of dams, including dams in remote sites, 

and to conduct surveillance from a secure standpoint.

• The training of all stakeholders on advances in the 

industry will continue to be a major focus of the 

National Dam Safety Program. 

This progress report for Fiscal Year 2002 and 2003 presents 

the opportunity to assess and document progress made 

since the passage of the National Dam Safety Program Act 

and to plan for the future. From the reports submitted 

by the states and federal agencies, it is clear that the Act 

is resulting in significant improvements in the Nation’s 

dam safety and security. By building on these and other 

accomplishments, FEMA and its partners in the National 

Dam Safety Program will continue to keep our dams safe 

and secure. 

We are being challenged to adapt our 

philosophy of how to best protect the 

national infrastructure. Under the 

leadership of the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency, the National Dam 

Safety Program is well positioned 

to meet these challenges. 
44 List of Acronyms 

ARS Agricultural Research Service 

ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers

ASDSO Association of State Dam Safety Officials

BIA Bureau of Indian Affairs

BLM Bureau of Land Management

CEDSPMT Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Program 

Management Team

DHS Department of Homeland Security

DOE Department of Energy

DOI Department of the Interior

DSPMT Dam Safety Program Management Tools 

DSPPM Dam Safety Program Performance Measures

EAP Emergency Action Plan

EMA Emergency Management Agency

EMI Emergency Management Institute

EPRI Electric Power Research Institute

FEAP Flood Emergency Action Plan

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

FS United States Forest Service

FTE Full-Time Equivalent

FWS United States Fish and Wildlife Service

FY Fiscal Year

GIS Geographic Information System

GPS Global Positioning System

HEC-HMS Corps Hydrologic Engineering Center 

Hydrologic Modeling System

HEC-RAS Corps Hydrologic Engineering Center River 

Analysis System

IBWC International Boundary and Water Commission

ICODS Interagency Committee on Dam Safety

ISAC Information Sharing Analysis Center

MBDSI Multi-Hazard Building Design Summer Institute

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

MSHA Mine Safety and Health Administration

NEMA National Emergency Management Association

NID National Inventory of Dams

NPDP National Performance of Dams Program

NPS National Park Service

NRC Nuclear Regulatory Commission

NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service

NSF National Science Foundation

NWS National Weather Service

OSM Office of Surface Mining

RBPS Risk-Based Profiling System

SEED Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams

SSLE Security, Safety, and Law Enforcement

TADS Training Aids for Dam Safety

TVA Tennessee Valley Authority

USDA United States Department of Agriculture 

USSD United States Society on Dams
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