Happy 2017 Members!

We’re feeling re-energized heading into the new year and excited about the mission of ASDSO. To kick off the new year, we want to tell you more about three things that make the year ahead promising - the new national dam rehabilitation program, our new strategic plan, and exciting new changes to the ASDSO committee structure.

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ASDSO Public Safety Around Dams Committee member Ken Smith is working overtime to raise awareness of safety issues at low-head dams in Indiana and around the nation. Ken’s efforts were integral to the making of the PBS documentary Over, Under, Gone – The Killer in Our Rivers, released in November 2016.

Now, Ken is preparing for an upcoming talk at the Hoosier Outdoor Writers group on Earth Day 2017, April 22, and finalizing a narrative for the 2017 version of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Recreation Guide, the most widely circulated publication of the DNR. We will provide a link to this publication once it is posted.

Other committee-related activities include presentations by Paul Schweiger and Paul Meeks at the upcoming Southeast Regional Conference in Nashville. This session is expected to be an agenda highlight:

Wednesday, April 19
Concurrent Session: Safety At Dams

• A Future Where All Dams are Safe – Does this Include Public Safety Around Dams? Presentation by Paul Schweiger, P.E., CFM, Vice President, Gannett Fleming, Inc.
• Best Practices for Barrier & Signage Placement at Water Control & Hydroelectric Dams. Presentation by Paul S. Meeks, President, Worthington Products, Inc.
• “Over, Under, Gone – The Killer in our Rivers”. New documentary to raise awareness of safety hazards at dams.

Safety around dams—particularly low-head dams—is gaining wider recognition among dam safety professionals, as reflected in the new USACE Nationwide Permit 53 – Removal of Low-Head Dams, and the U.S. EPA’s new FAQs on the Removal of Obsolete Dams. Links to and descriptions of these publications are included in the Research and Publications section below.

The Association of State Wetland Managers is holding a webinar on the new NWP 53 on Thursday, February 9: Nationwide Permit Rule Webinar: Low-head Dam Removal: Technical Issues and Considerations for State/Tribal/Federal Review, presented by Luke Trumble, Michigan Dam Safety Unit; Ralph Reznick, Michigan Nonpoint Source Unit; and Serena McClain, American Rivers.

Sharon Tapia, Division Chief with the California Division of Safety of Dams, is now ASDSO state representative for California, taking the place of David Gutierrez who retired from state service at the end of 2016.

Thanks to Jim Gallagher (NH), David Gutierrez (CA), and Jon Garton (IA), who are stepping down from state representative positions on the National Dam Safety Review Board. New state representatives on the Review Board are Darin Schaffer (NJ), Sharon Tapia (CA), and Bill Sturtevant (WI); Michele Lemieux (MT), and Peter Goodman (KY) continue as a state representative on the Review Board.

New members of the DHS Dams Sector Government Coordinating Council are Eric Holland (CA), who replaces David Gutierrez, and Dave Capka (FERC), who replaces recently retired Bill Allerton.

Thomas A. Kelly died January 7, 2017. Tom was a vital part of ASDSO for more than 33 years, contributing his technical expertise and experience as a dam owner to ASDSO's Peer Review Program, under which he participated in pilot reviews of three state programs, nine additional state reviews, and organizational reviews of dam safety programs within the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

A founding member of ASDSO’s Affiliate Member Advisory Committee, Mr. Kelly was named an ASDSO Honorary Member in 2002. As senior civil engineer for Southern California Edison Company, Mr. Kelly was responsible for dam safety and performance evaluation of 33 company-owned dams and related facilities. He interacted with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the California Division of Safety of Dams to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. He also cooperated with the FERC Part 12 Board of Consultants and with other Boards of Consultants relating to Southern California Edison-owned dams. Tom is survived by his wife of 45+ years, Molly, 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. 

ASDSO will forever be grateful to Tom for all he did to advance dam safety and the goals of ASDSO.

Read Tom's Obituary

Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance Report Number GEER-052: The Hydraulic and Geotechnical Aspects of the South Carolina Floods of October 1-5, 2015 Related to Offshore Hurricane Joaquin (12/19/2016)

Collaborators: Georgia Institute of Technology; Clemson University; Division of Dam Safety and Inspections, FERC; Geosyntec Consultants, Inc. 

In October 2015, offshore category 4 Hurricane Joaquin resulted in record-shattering rains and flooding across South Carolina, with parts of the state seeing precipitation exceeding the threshold for a 1-in- 1,000-year event. The floods killed 19 people, caused in-state damages estimated at $12 billion, and caused 52 dam failures. The GEER team visited a dozen dams within a week of the event. 149 pp.

Cobb, Charles F. Update on Mine Tailings Dam Regulation in Alaska and North America. Alaska Business Monthly (01/2017)

Alaska State Dam Safety Engineer Charlie Cobb authored this review of the Alaska Dam Safety Program, the purposes of dams at mines in Alaska, and the industry response in North America to tailings dam failures at mines. Charlie led ASDSO’s Tailings Dam Regulatory Workgroup, which developed an issue paper on tailings dam safety that led to ASDSO Resolution 1-2016: Support for Tailings Dam Safety, passed unanimously by ASDSO state representatives at the 2016 annual business meeting, that affirms ASDSO’s support of state dam safety programs with regulatory authority over tailings dams. On January 26, Charlie and ASDSO President Dusty Myers participated in a Geoprofessional Business Association Tailings Engineer of Record (EOR) Workshop developed to identify concerns of EOR’s for tailings storage facility projects and develop guidance for working on these projects.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Dams Sector. Dams Sector Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Model (C2M2) (11/2016)
The C2M2 aims to advance the practice of cybersecurity risk management across the Dams Sector by providing a flexible tool to help evaluate, prioritize, and improve cybersecurity capabilities. 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis (OCIA). Infographic - Dams: Functions and Interdependencies (1/10/2017)
This Infrastructure Summary Graphic (ISG) highlights how Dams Sector functions are interdependent with other critical infrastructure sectors. Identifying these interdependencies can inform owners and operators on water management and other downstream effects. The OCIA requests feedback on the infographic through the attached Customer Feedback Survey.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Report Number ERDC/ITL SR-17-1: Publications of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center: October 1999-December 2015 (01/2017)
This report groups USACE ERDC publications according to the technical laboratories or technical program for which they were prepared, and includes instructions for obtaining them. 403 pp.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. USACE Issuance and Reissuance of Nationwide Permits (including new NWP 53 – Removal of Low-Head Dams). Federal Register, 01/06/2017.
USACE has issued two new nationwide permits (NWPs) that authorize the removal of low-head dams and the construction and maintenance of living shorelines; and one new general condition (Activities Affecting Structures or Works Built by the United States). USACE also reissued 50 existing NWPs. All will go into effect on March 19, 2017 and expire on March 18, 2022. The removal of low-head dams is authorized by NWP 53, which cites a 2011 Journal of Dam Safety paper by Bruce Tschantz and Ken Wright (Hidden Dangers and Public Safety at Low-Head Dams) and includes a lengthy discussion of what constitutes a low-head dam, defined in NWP 53 as:

"A dam built across a stream to pass flows from upstream over all, or nearly all, of the width of the dam crest on a continual and uncontrolled basis. (During a drought, there might not be water flowing over the dam crest.) In general, a low-head dam does not have a separate spillway or spillway gates but it may have an uncontrolled spillway. The dam crest is the top of the dam from left abutment to right abutment, and if present, an uncontrolled spillway. A low-head dam provides little storage function."

The removal of small water control structures, dikes, and berms is still authorized by NWP 27.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA-840-F-16-001: Frequently Asked Questions on Removal of Obsolete Dams (12/2016)
Removal of obsolete dams throughout the U.S. has been on the rise for a variety of reasons, including ecological restoration, economic development of communities, addressing concerns with localized flooding, improvement of recreational opportunities, restoration of fish spawning and migration, and addressing safety issues for recreational users due to dangerous hydraulics. In support of these efforts and in response to an increase in the number of inquiries regarding EPA policies, regulations, and potential funding opportunities as they relate to removal of obsolete dams, the EPA is providing answers to Frequently Asked Questions. 15 pp.

Singh, Vijay P. [Ed.]. Handbook of Applied Hydrology – Second Edition (2017)
This “ASDSO Model Library” resource has been completely revised for the first time since Ven Te Chow's classic edition was published over 50 years ago. Compiled by a colleague of the late Dr. Chow and featuring chapter contributions from international hydrology experts, this new edition covers scientific and engineering fundamentals and presents new methods, processes, and technologies, including climate change impacts, water security, and more. 1,440 pp.

CEATI Dam Safety Interest Group (DSIG). Dam Safety Technology Roadmap (10/2016)
This update of the technical vision of the DSIG attempts to set priorities for future research programs and projects. Program areas are identified to provide dam owners and operators with reliable knowledge on dam safety issues and a greater capacity to share and transfer knowledge within the DSIG and more broadly with researchers, engineering practitioners, and academics to leverage influence within the industry.

CEATI Dam Safety Interest Group (DSIG). Grouted Post-Tensioned Rock Anchor Assessment (11/2016)
This report presents the results of an extensive study of grouted post-tensioned rock anchors installed in concrete gravity dams. The purpose of the study is to obtain a better understanding of the condition and capacity of existing post-tensioned rock anchors for which grout serves as the only form of corrosion protection. The performance of grout-protected anchors of various designs under actual site conditions is assessed to determine the effects of the aging process.

Environment Agency (United Kingdom) Reservoir Safety Post Incident Annual Reports (Updated 11/2016)
The Environment Agency (EA) collects and records information on incidents at raised reservoirs, both large and small. The EA uses this information to investigate selected incidents, inform the reservoir industry of any trends and key lessons identified, and contribute to research into reservoir safety and incident frequency analysis. All incident data is entered onto a national database, which can be used to inform reservoir safety research.

Environment Agency (United Kingdom) Design, Operation and Adaptation of Reservoirs for Flood Storage (11/2016)
This report provides comprehensive guidance on the development and use of flood storage reservoirs, drawing on good practice in UK and international reservoir planning, design, operation and maintenance. Aimed at a wide range of stakeholders, the guidance covers practical considerations when modifying the use of existing reservoirs for flood storage, but does not consider policy aspects. Case studies and images are used to illustrate best practice and to share practical knowledge from past and existing schemes.

Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf, Alfred J. Kalyanapu , Brantley A. Thames, and Jason Lillywhite. A Probabilistic Framework for Comparison of Dam Breach Parameters and Outflow Hydrograph Generated by Different Empirical Prediction Methods. Journal of Environmental Modelling & Software (12/2016).
A winner of ASDSO’s 2013 Student Paper Competition, Ebrahim Ahmadisharaf is now a Postdoctoral Associate in the Biological Systems Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. He writes: "I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to ASDSO for being inspiring to me. I was one of the winners of the student paper competition at Dam Safety Conference in 2013, which truly encouraged me to keep working in this area." His study presents a probabilistic framework to simulate dam breach and evaluates the impact of using four empirical dam breach prediction methods on breach parameters and outflow hydrograph attributes. The methods that are assessed include MacDonald and Langridge-Monopolis (1984), Von Thun and Gillete (1990), Froehlich (1995), and Froehlich (2008).

Visit the ASDSO Career Center to learn about the positions listed below, view student resumes, and post career and internship opportunities.

Senior Dam Safety Engineer
Company: Gomez and Sullivan Engineers, DPC
Location: Utica, NY
Post Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Close Date: Saturday, February 25, 2017

Engineer III (2633)
Company: Aqua America Inc.
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
Post Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Close Date: Saturday, February 25, 2017

Geotechnical Engineer
Company: Gannett Fleming, Inc.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Post Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Close Date: Friday, February 24, 2017

Project Geotechnical Engineer
Company: Gannett Fleming, Inc.
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Post Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Close Date: Friday, February 24, 2017

Civil Engineer
Company: Gannett Fleming, Inc.
Location: Denver, CO
Post Date: Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Close Date: Friday, February 24, 2017

GS 12/13 Civil Engineer, Multiple Positions
Company: FERC/OEP/Division of Dam Safety and Inspections
Location: New York, NY; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, Il; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA
Post Date: Monday, November 28, 2016
Close Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Visit the Career Center

February 1 - Last day to submit abstracts and student paper competition entries for the Dam Safety 2017 National Conference in San Antonio.

February 7-9 - Classroom Seminar: Inspection and Assessment of Dams in Tampa, FL. *Approved for continuing education credit for NY-licensed professional engineers.

February 14 - Webinar: Imminent Failure Condition: The Fontenelle Dam Incident, by Mark E. Baker, P.E. *Approved for continuing education credit for NY-licensed professional engineers.

February 28-March 1 - Classroom Seminar: Plans and Specifications Review and Construction Inspections for Dams, Levees, and Ancillary Structures, in Phoenix, AZ.

March 14 - Webinar: Underwater Installation of Geomembranes, by John Wilkes, P.E.

April 18-20 - Conference: ASDSO Southeast Regional Conference, The Music City Center, Nashville 

View all upcoming ASDSO training events! Watch your email for the ASDSO Training & Education Newsletter at the middle of each month. 

February 19-25 National Engineers Week. ASDSO encourages your participation; contact Brittany Lewis for details.

February 22-23 National Dam Safety Technical Seminar - Interim Risk Reduction Measures and Rehabilitation, Emmitsburg, MD

February 28 Oregon Dam Safety and Reservoir Resilience Conference

May 15-19 38th Annual Short Course - Grouting Fundamentals and Current Practice at the University of Texas at Austin

July 9-12 Grouting 2017: Grouting, Deep Mixing, and Diaphragm Walls Conference at the Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu