Dam Risk Assessment in a Regulatory Environment

Since the formation of the National Dam Safety Program over twenty-five years ago, the need for formal risk-based methods to assess and prioritize dams has become increasingly prevalent. Attempts to address this need are evident, though intangible, ranging from Federal-funded software packages to proprietary risk tools in the form of Microsoft Access databases and Excel Spreadsheets used at Federal, state, and local government levels. The tangible results, however, the rehabilitation of the nation's dams, and the improvement of public safety via faster, more efficient, and more justifiable regulatory methods, are not necessarily so clear. This paper examines the current use of dam risk assessment by State, and also Federal and local regulatory agencies. Data was collected via surveys, direct observation, and review of technical manuals and user guides of existing dam risk assessment methods, which are described and illustrated in this paper. Regulatory agency offices were contacted, surveyed, and visited in order to characterize the existence, use, and effectiveness of such methods. Case studies and direct experience with FEMA's Risk Prioritization Tool for Dams are also examined. The data will be used to conclusively identify regulatory needs in terms of the use and application of risk assessment methods, as well as current and potential projects to enhance these methods. 11 pp., 10 references.