On this page:
- Being a Responsible Dam Owner
- Dam Owner Academy — ASDSO's Dam Owner Education Video Series
- Find Workshops, Fact Sheets, and Guidance
- Next Steps - Meeting Knowledgable Dam Owners and Regulators
- External Resources
Being a Responsible Dam Owner
One of the most important components of dam safety is owner education. As a dam owner, you are legally responsible to maintain your dam in a safe manner, and you could be found liable should your structure fail and cause loss of life or damage to the property of others.
A responsible owner must be aware of:
- State and/or federal dam laws and regulations;
- Proper operation and maintenance practices;
- Rehabilitation needs;
- Emergency action planning, and;
- How to hire qualified dam engineers.
Through education, owners can take steps to:
- Reduce the likelihood of incidents and failures;
- Reduce their own liability;
- Improve the safety of dams;
- Help to reduce the risk to communities
This site serves as a tool to make it easy to access guidance information and understand what each step entails.
Dam Owner Academy — ASDSO's Dam Owner Education Video Series
The Dam Owner Academy is a series of videos to educate and inform owners on all aspects of operating and maintaining a dam safely. The videos concisely present the critical basics of owner responsibilities and are available as a free resource for owners and those conducting owner outreach programs. Over the next few years, ASDSO will release additional videos and tools as part of the Dam Owner Academy. Many of the videos will correspond with ASDSO's dam owner fact sheets (below). For future videos, make sure to subscribe to ASDSO's Youtube Channel and this webpage.
Dam Owner Academy Videos (Full Playlist):
- Dams 101
- Dam Inspections
- Spillways & Outlet Works
- Operation & Maintenance Plans
- Emergency Planning
- Extreme Rainfall Events
- Hiring an Experienced and Qualified Dam Engineer
- Rehabilitation Projects
- Plants & Animals on Dams
- Learning From Dam Failures
- Concrete Problems & Repairs
- Seepage, Slope Stability & Seismic Issues
- Public Safety at Dams - NEW IN 2024
- Removing a Dam - NEW IN 2024
- Dam Safety 3.0 & Recent Advancements to Improve Dam Safety - NEW IN 2024
Find Workshops, Fact Sheets, and Guidance
Attend a Dam Owner Educational Workshop
From time-to-time, ASDSO partners with State Dam Safety Programs to conduct one-day workshops for dam owners. Click here to learn more.
Watch ASDSO's Educational Webinars
ASDSO's webinar Introduction to Inspecting Dams for Owners and Operators (2013) is available for free as part of its dam owner education program.
Go to https://portal.damsafety.org/asdso-webinars to find a list of all ASDSO On-Demand Webinars. Many of the webinars address dam owner needs.
View Dam Ownership Fact Sheets
ASDSO maintains a booklet of fact sheets that provides guidance on specific issues many dam owners face.
Click the topics listed below to download individual fact sheets or view the information on a webpage. You can download the full Dam Ownership Fact Sheet Booklet here.
- Ownership Responsibility and Liability
- Funding for Dam Rehabilitation
- How to Procure the Services of an Engineer
- Emergency Action Planning
- Dam Security
- Earth Dam Failures
- Embankment Instabilities
- Seepage through Earthen Dams
- Internal Erosion of Earth Dams
- Ground Cover
- Trees and Brush
- Rodent Control
- Spillway Conduit System Problems
- Open Channel Spillways
- Outlet Erosion Control Structures (Stilling Basins)
- Lake Drains
- Design and Maintenance of Trashracks
- Upstream Slope Protection
- Common Problems with Concrete Channel Spillways
- Inspection of Concrete Structures
- Problems with Concrete Materials
- Concrete Repair Techniques
- Problems with Metal Materials
- Problems with Plastic (Polymer) Materials
- Concrete Gravity Dam Failures
- Dam Removal
- Public Safety at Dams
PLEASE NOTE: These fact sheets have replaced ASDSO's tri-fold dam owner brochures.
Next Steps - Meeting Knowledgable Dam Owners and Regulators
- Your state dam safety program will be aware of the specific requirements and regulations for your dam and can put you in contact with qualified personnel to help you manage the needs of your dam. Locate Your State Dam Safety Program Office
- Consider joining the Association of State Dam Safety Officials to take full advantage of training, resources, a collaborative community, and industry access for managing your dam.
External Resources
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides extensive information on dam ownership in the United States, federal guidelines for dam safety, and many other resources.
These resources are accessible at the FEMA website by navigating to their dam safety web portal at https://www.fema.gov/dam-safety.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) considers dams to be one of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors that form the core of the DHS security mission.
The DHS website provides resources regarding maintaining site security at dams and offers many online training courses for dam owners and professionals. The resources can be accessed at https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/dams-sector.
In support of conservation efforts across the nation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works with landowners in the disciplines of hydrology and hydraulics. Tools and models here, as well as significant technical information, can be accessed at the NRCS website. Training material is also available. In each of the 50 states, NRCS has a hydraulic engineering contact person.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has an extensive dam portfolio it maintains across the nation. The USACE website has a large archive of engineering-focused publications and technical manuals, among many other resources.
The USACE dam safety program website is accessible by navigating to their dam safety portal at https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Dam-Safety-Program/.
