The purpose of the PPG is to present Reclamation’s risk informed decision-making (RIDM) framework for evaluating high and significant hazard potential dams, determining the need for action, and prioritizing investigations and modifications to Reclamation dams. Reclamation first issued guidelines for RIDM in 1997. The guidelines were revised in 2003 and again in 2011. Updates included in the current draft document have been made based on experience gained since the development of the 2011 PPG in the interest of not only improving guidance but providing a document that is consistent with the way Reclamation currently applies the RIDM process. The document and instructions for submitting comments can be accessed at https://www.usbr.gov/recman/drafts/PPGwebdraft.pdf.
The updated National Inventory of Dams (NID) is now available at https://nid.sec.usace.army.mil/#/. The NID, a congressionally authorized database, has served as a central repository of information on dams in the U.S. and its territories since the 1980s. The site has been updated to make it easier to find and share dam-related data. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the NID and works in close collaboration with federal and state dam safety agencies to obtain accurate and complete information about dams in the database. The new NID allows agencies to update data in-real time – users can expect fresher data that can be downloaded and shared at any time.
The NID also features new information for some dams. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is sharing flood inundation maps for its dams in the NID as well as narrative summaries about what our dams do, benefits they provide and risks they pose, and planned and ongoing actions to manage dam risks. The dam flood inundation maps included in the NID show what may occur during a dam-related flood and help individuals and communities take actions to prepare in advance. Individuals trying to understand if they will be impacted by potential dam-related flooding should talk to local officials who can offer advice on how to prepare before a flood occurs. During an emergency, users should adhere to warnings posted by local emergency management officials. This is not an emergency response site, and the information provided is not real-time.
For more information, see the NID Overview Factsheeet.
Have you seen the video “Exploring Our Nation’s Dams”?
USGS is pleased to announce the release of a major upgrade to the USGS Dam Removal Information Portal (DRIP), https://data.usgs.gov/drip-dashboard/. Among other improvements, users can now better interact with, select, and download the scientific citations associated with dam removals.
DRIP Version 2 allows efficient integration and reporting of newly documented removals and studies by way of a data pipeline. It also utilizes a new web application framework (Python Dash) that will allow efficient development of planned feature upgrades. The new design of DRIP promotes transparent science with a series of data and software releases that document source data (e.g., Dam Removal Science Database Version 4.0, American Rivers dam removal database), a data processing pipeline (pydrip), an API, and software for the web application.
The dam removal database version 4.0 includes scientific literature through 2020, continuing efforts of the USGS Powell Center dam removal science team’s literature review that set the stage for Bellmore et al.’s Status and Trends of Dam Removal and a series of dam removal review papers (O’Connor et al. 2015, Tullos et al 2016, Magilligan et al. 2016, Foley et al. 2017a, Foley et al. 2017b, Major et al. 2017, and Bellmore et al. 2019). With version 4.0, dam removal study locations were linked to the National Hydrography data sets to help support landscape scale analyses, some of which we plan to incorporate in future versions of DRIP.
USGS welcomes feedback on the current application and ideas for improvements to ensure DRIP can best serve the community. Please feel free to get in touch with Jeff Duda and / or Daniel Wieferich using the email format FirstinitialLastname at usgs.gov
Planning for a health emergency, such as the novel coronavirus (or COVID-19), is unique from other business continuity planning because it requires businesses to prepare to operate with a significantly smaller workforce, a threatened supply chain, and limited support services for an extended period of time at an unknown date in the future. . . .
The following FEMA manuals, guides, and reports provide procedures and guidance for dam specialists and dam owners responsible for the design, construction, inspection, maintenance, and repair of dams. You can access these documents by clicking on the hyperlinks below. For more information, go to FEMA’s library by clicking the button below.
Emergency Operations Planning: Dam Incident Planning Guide
South Carolina Dam Failure Assessment and Advisement (FEMA P-1801)
Pocket Safety Guide for Dams and Impoundments (FEMA P-911)
Evaluation and Monitoring of Seepage and Internal Erosion (FEMA P-1032)
Technical Manual: Overtopping Protection for Dams DVD (FEMA P-1015)
Overtopping Protection for Dams Brochure (FEMA P-1014)
Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: Emergency Action Planning for Dams (FEMA P-64)
Filters for Embankment Dams: Best Practices for Design and Construction
Technical Manual: Plastic Pipe Used in Embankment Dams (FEMA P-675)
Technical Manual for Dam Owners: Impacts of Plants on Earthen Dams (FEMA 534)
Technical Manual: Conduits through Embankment Dams (FEMA 484)
Technical Manual for Dam Owners: Impacts of Animals on Earthen Dams (FEMA 473)
Conduits through Embankment Dams Brochure (FEMA L-266)
Dam Owner’s Guide to Animal Impacts on Earthen Dams Brochure (FEMA L-264)
Dam Owner’s Guide to Plant Impact on Earthen Dams Brochure (FEMA L-263)
FEMA’s Dam Incident Planning Guide supports state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers in planning for dam incidents and failures by summarizing the concepts that a community should consider when creating dam incident-specific elements of local emergency operations plans. Their guide builds on Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.1 It also provides guidance for dam owners and operators on how to engage with emergency managers prior to an incident to ensure a well-coordinated response. Appendix A provides a general template for a community dam incident plan that can be adapted to meet each community’s needs.
Plenary and Lunch Presentations:
Doug-Johnson Dams in Cold Climate Design Considerations and Challenges of Construction
IHA Hydropower Sustainability Protocol, Joerg Hartman, Sustainability Consultant
Track A – Investigation, Design, Construction and Operation:
Selection of Dam Types for Cold Climate and High Altitude Conditions, Glenn Tarbox, Stantec
Cost Estimating for Cold Climate Construction, Kevin Schneider, Barnard Construction Company
Muskrat Falls Project Overview, Ron Power, Nalcor Energy
Muskrat Falls Dams – Cold Climate Considerations, Greg Snyder, SNC Lavalin
Site C: Cold Climate RCC Mix Design, Mike Pauletto, M. Pauletto and Associates, LLC
Site C: Cold Climate RCC Placement, Mike Pauletto, M. Pauletto and Associates, LLC
High Production RCC and Mass Concrete Operations in Extreme Climate Conditions for Large Dams and Hydro Projects Worldwide, Ted Warren, RCC Presa Associates International LLC
Track B – Environmental Sustainability – Plans, Studies and Permits in Alaska
Considerations in FERC Licensing of New Projects, Kirby Gilbert, Stantec
Emerging Federal Policy Affecting Hydro Development, Chuck Sensiba, VanNess Feldman
Track B – Case Studies of Projects Successfully Permitted
Thayer Creek Hydro, Del Shannon, Barnard Construction Company
Track B – Sustainability Workshop
IHA Hydropower Sustainability Assessment, Protocol, Joerg Hartman, Sustainability Consultant
Nearly 200 participants attend one of four concurrent USSD Workshops held in Oakland, California, during the first week of November 2015. Workshop topics include Decommissioning, Construction, Monitoring and Levees.
Presentations from the USSD Levee Workshop:
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