Does Your Dam Measure Up? – Developing an Effective Instrumentation Program for Small Earth Dams

An effective dam surveillance and monitoring program is an important component to any dam safety program. The goal of a dam surveillance and monitoring program is to detect if the dam is not performing per the design or if the dam is developing a condition that could lead to adverse performance of the dam. These conditions, if left undetected, could culminate in a dam safety incident or failure and may present a risk to the public, property, or environment. There are two necessary elements of an effective program: surveillance (visual observations) and monitoring (instrumentation measurements). This article focuses on developing an effective instrumentation program for small earth dams based on a identifying a clear set of objectives and selecting the right instrument for the job.