Resource

Using GIS as a Tool in Managing a National Dam Safety Program

Resource Type
ASDSO Conference Papers
Reference Title
Using GIS as a Tool in Managing a National Dam Safety Program
Author/Presenter
Cover, Charles (Kirk)
Organization/Agency
Association of State Dam Safety Officials
Publisher Name
Association of State Dam Safety Officials
Year
2023
Date
September 17-21, 2023
Event Name
Dam Safety 2023
Event Location
Palm Springs, California
ASDSO Session Title
Session 4: Processes and Innovations
Abstract/Additional Information

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has oversight of energy infrastructure throughout the United States, including jurisdictional responsibility for non-federal hydroelectric projects. FERC licenses approximately 1,600 hydroelectric projects, and dam safety staff from the Office of Energy Projects (OEP) regulate more than 2,900 structures. We have embraced geographic information system (GIS) technology as an important tool in the dam safety decision making process. This paper describes our experience with GIS and how we integrate this technology with our dam safety daily workflow.

FERC began its GIS program in the mid 1990’s. Our Compliance and Dam Safety staff spent the next 15 years creating standards and working with licensees on adequate GIS submittals for project boundaries, project asset locations, and danger reach analyses. Our GIS program took a significant leap forward in 2014, when we moved our data to an enterprise geodatabase on the Esri GIS platform. FERC’s enterprise GIS provides a central data store, and gives multi-user edit capability to staff in headquarters and our five regional offices. Most significantly, we use Esri’s software tools to build web based applications that help us manage compliance and dam safety with real-time data awareness.

This paper explains how we built our GIS program using off-shelf software technology and describes our dam safety Situational Event Monitor and award winning High Flow Dashboards. FERC uses these applications to track natural hazards such as fires, droughts, weather, and flood events and their potential impact to hydroelectric projects and dams. The High Flow Dashboard includes a data capture form used by staff when dam operators notify us of high flows. Finally, the paper outlines the basic building blocks required for a GIS program focused on hydropower projects and dam safety, and FERC’s in-the-works enhancements that will allow real-time notifications, advanced forecasting, and post-event analysis.

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