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3/24/2011

Dam Safety and Water Resources Project


Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams Technical Seminar
April 2011
Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning Project
Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams Technical Seminar - April 2011
United States
United States and Reclamation and Reclamation Dam
Dam Safety Programs S f t Programs
Safety P
William L. Bouley, P.E.

William L. Bouley Ministry of Ministry of


Water and U.S. Department of the Interior Water and
Irrigation Bureau of Reclamation Irrigation
Management Management

Primary Dam Purpose U.S. Dams Completed by Decade


(National Inventory of Dams 80,000 dams) (National Inventory of Dams 80,000 dams)

2600+
t
sen 5017
Tailings, et al Water Supply Pre 9
10% 10% 9 90- 1 98
Irrigation 1 0- 13076
10% 198 1979
0-
Hydroelectric 197 1969 19310
3% 0- 11388
9 6 9
Recreation 1 195 4053
0-
35% Flood Control 195 1949
17% 0- 3716
194 1939 2

Fish& Wildlife 0- 2252


Ponds 193 1929
15% 0- 1907
192 1919
0- 2127
19 1 9
190
0- 2491
190 900's Note: 9500 dams of unknown age
1
Pre

Downstream Consequences
(National Inventory of Dams 80,000 dams)
Out-dated design and
construction practices 14%

18%

68%

High Significant Low

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Most Dams in the U.S. are regulated by the States


Dam Ownership
Federal government has held that public safety
Federal Govt.
4% associated with non-Federal dams lies with the
State Govt.
5% States* *with a few exceptions
Alabama as the only state without dam safety
legislation
legislation.
Local Govt.
21%
State dam safety program budgets and staffing are
Private
continually threatened by other perceived priorities.
Public Utility
68% 2%
State dam safety programs are understaffed:
- National average > 400 dams per FTE
- Some States > 1000 dams per FTE

*Federal Regulation of Non-Federal Dams Federal Dam-Owning Agencies


Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Self-regulate the risk which their dams
Mine Safety and Health Administration pose to the public
Office of Surface Mining

Reclamations Portfolio of Dams For governmental dam safety


362 Significant & High Hazard Dams regulatory programs to get necessary:
100
legislation
80
funding
ams

staffing
Number of da

Other
60
Composite
Concrete
40 Embankment

20 There must be interest and


0
1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s to
support from the public
Present

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Williamsburg Dam, MA Austin Dam, PA failed in 1911


failed in 1874 80 killed
139 killed Pennsylvanias dam safety
Massachusettes enacted program created in 1913
legislation regulating
dam construction

St. Francis Dam, CA failed in 1928


450 killed
California established dam safety laws in 1929
Baldwin Hills
Dam, CA failed in
December 1963
5 killed
California
strengthened its
dam safety laws
in 1965

125 killed

Lower San Fernando Dam, CA


nearly failed in February 1971
80,000 evacuated
Buffalo Creek Dam, WV
failed in February 1972

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National Dam Inspection Act of 1972


Canyon Lake Dam, SD
failed in June 1972 Authorized the Corps of
33 killed Engineers to inventory and
inspect
p dams

But only the inventory could be


carried out because no funds
were provided for inspections

National Inventory of Dams


Inventory conducted by the Corps of
Engineers
Initially identified over 68,000 dams, Walter Bouldin Dam, AL
nearly 80,000 dams today failed in February 1975
Criteria: None killed,
i but significant
i ifi
> 25 ft high with > 15 acre-ft storage
property damage
> 6 ft high with > 50 acre-ft storage

- Potential for loss of life


Includes basic information about dams

Teton Dam, ID failed June 1976


11 killed, billion dollars
property damage
Bear Wallow Dam, NC
Bureau of Reclamations dam
Failed February 1976
safety program established soon
4 killed
after

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Inspection of Non-Federal Dams

Congress appropriated
funds for Corps of
Engineers to oversee
Kelly Barnes Dam, GA inspection of non-
failed in November 1977 Federal dams under the
1972 Act
39 killed Over 9,000 high-hazard
dams inspected 1978-81
Led to COE inspection
of dams and development Program helped many
States establish and/or
of Federal Guidelines for
improve their dam safety
Dam Safety programs.

The Federal Guidelines recognize that no dam


Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety - 1979 can ever be made completely fail-safe
The purpose of the Guidelines is to enhance
national dam safety by promoting consistent,
because of incomplete understanding of the
comprehensive practices uncertainties associated with:
natural destructive forces and a dams response
Federal Guidelines address:
to those
h fforces;
Dam site investigations materials behavior; and
Design uncertainties in construction practices
Construction
Operation and maintenance
Emergency preparedness

The goal of making dams President Carter issued an Executive Order


as safe as practical implies creating the Federal Emergency Management
that there is a limit to Agency.
maximum reasonable effort
Consolidated Federal Governments
mitigation and emergency response efforts,
including for dam failure.

FEMA charged with assisting both Federal


1979 agencies and the States with their dam safety
programs.

FEMA supports dam safety training and


provides information to the public and dam
owners about
dam safety.

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TADS training format:


Self-instructional
Text-based
Video-supplemented

Forum for exchange of ideas on dam safety


- Annual Conference
Encourages States to work together to solve common
problems
- Technical Committees
Provides assistance to State dam safety programs
- Training programs & Model State Dam Safety Program
Represents State interests before Congress
- Lobbied for National Dam Safety Program Act &
Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act
Works to improve State dam safety programs
- Peer Review program

Water Resources Development Act of 1996 ICODS


Section 215 National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) Act:
Encourages the Federal agencies and States to establish and
Provides Federal funds to help the States improve their dam maintain effective dam safety program policies and guidelines
safety programs (training, research)

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


failure in the United States
Funding to maintain National Inventory of Dams
Establishes National Dam Safety Review Board to advise on
expenditure of funds and monitor States progress toward
improving their programs
Formalizes Interagency Committee on Dam Safety (ICODS)
Re-authorized in 2002 and 2006

Watershed Rehabilitation
Amendments of 2000 Obstacles to Safe Dams
(to Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
ACT of 1954)
Owners not convinced of the need to
NRCS can provide technical and financial assistance to owners of
existing NRCS assisted dams to rehabilitate (or remove) the dams
spend money to adequately maintain or
improve condition of their dams
Ab
Aboutt 10,500
10 500 d
dams eligible
li ibl flood
fl d control
t ld dams owned
dbby
governmental entities Owners lack funds to maintain and
repair their dams
Authorized $350 million through 2012
Inadequate legal authority to force
NRCS can fund up to 65%
owners to maintain their dams
Public apathy regarding dam safety

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Future Direction of Dam Safety


Future Direction of Dam Safety
Determining and applying consistent best practices
with regard to dam safety
Making dam safety decisions in a risk
context
Using better inspection techniques, such as ROVs
and alpine climbing techniques to reach normally
Emphasizing emergency preparedness inaccessible features
(developing and exercising EAPs), and
integrating early detection of failure (EWS) Developing creative ways of helping private dam
into emergency planning owners finance dam safety fixes

Considering decommissioning as a corrective


Enhancing security of dams action alternative

Dam Safety & Water Resources Dam Safety & Water Resources
Planning Project Planning Project
32 high risk dams to be rehabilitiated in Sri Department of Irrigation 16 dams to be
Lanka rehabilitiated
Department of Meteorology and Disaster Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka - 11 dams
Management Centre to improve flood to be rehabilitiated
forecasting and public hazards mitigation Ceylon Electricity Board - 4 dams to be
capacities rehabilitiated
All major water sector stakeholders National Water Supply & Drainage Board
involved in the implementation 1 dam to be rehabilitated

The
End

Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management


Dam Safety and Water Resources Planning Project

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