Dam Safety Quarterly: Dam Safety Awareness Day, Chapter 25 updates, & more

Oklahoma Water Resources Board sent this bulletin at 06/04/2020 07:30 AM CDT

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June 2020

There are more than 90,000 dams in the United States and more than 4,700 dams in Oklahoma alone. Dams are an extremely important part of this nation’s infrastructure, equal in importance to bridges, roads, and airports. Although dams are a crucial resource, they can also be potentially hazardous if not properly maintained. Dam failures can and have occurred in the U.S. causing loss of life and severe economic and environmental damage. In honor of National Dam Safety Awareness Day, we encourage everyone to do the following:

1. Learn about the dams in your community:

OWRB Dam Inventory Tool

2. Learn about the potential risks of living with dams:

Guide to the Risks of Living With Dams

3. Learn about historic dam failures:

Failure of Lake Delhi Dam in Iowa in July of 2010

4. Contact your local Dam Safety Program with any questions:

Chapter 25 Updates Approved

Last year, the Oklahoma Dam Safety Program contracted with Applied Weather Associates, in coordination with the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri state dam safety programs, to complete a regional Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) study.

Following the completion of the PMP study, the OWRB's dam safety program proposed amendments to Chapter 25: Dams and Reservoirs. Specifically, Chapter 25 was revised to require the updated PMP data be used for future spillway designs - instead of the precipitation values that were published by the National Weather Service in 1978.

Additionally, the Chapter 25 section on dam inspections was also amended to clarify the minimum standards that are required for written dam inspection reports.

The Board approved the Chapter 25 amendments at the February 18th monthly meeting. The amendments, along with the OWRB's proposed amendments to other Chapters, have been submitted for consideration to the Legislature and Governor.

Important Reminders for Dam Owners and Dam Inspectors

In an effort to continue to improve and maintain the condition of the dams in Oklahoma, it is of the upmost importance for dam owners and dam inspectors to consider the following regulations:

Emergency Action Plans:

Emergency Action Plans (EAP) ensures that citizens will be properly protected in the event of dam failure.

According to Administrative Code 785: 25-7-7, owners of existing or proposed dams classified as high hazard-potential, shall create and maintain an EAP that utilizes the recommendations, as determined by the Board, of the "Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety, Emergency Action Planning for Dams Owners," published July 2013 by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The owner shall submit a copy of the
EAP to the OWRB.

Also, owners shall annually review their EAPs to assure they are still accurate and applicable, and submit any updates to the EAPs to the OWRB.

Dam Inspections and Inspection Reports:

Dam owners are required to have their dams inspected by qualified persons periodically. High hazard-potential dams require an annual inspection, significant hazard-potential dams require an inspection once every three years, and low hazard-potential every five years. Inspections are extremely important for tracking the condition of these dams.

According to the proposed Administrative Code 785: 25-9-1, periodic inspections shall be conducted by the end of the calendar year (December 31). The person or persons conducting these inspections should be Professional Engineers that are licensed in the state of Oklahoma, and have training and/or experience concerning the analysis, design, and/or construction of dams and reservoirs.

Engineering inspection reports shall be prepared for each inspection completed.
The inspecting engineer shall submit a written inspection report to the OWRB no later than 30 days after the inspection. Inspections shall also include at a minimum:

1. Color documentary digital photographs of the dam, auxiliary spillway, principal spillway inlet structure, principal spillway outlet, and potential safety concerns.

2. When explanation is needed to identify or describe the safety concern, notes shall be included in the written report to provide this explanation.

3. A schedule of corrective actions to be taken to address dam safety deficiencies.

4. A review of the Emergency Action Plan and of the operation and maintenance manual to assure they are still accurate and applicable, as well as any changes in downstream development or other conditions if applicable.

For more information see the OWRB Dam Safety Program's publications.

Free Low Hazard Dam Inspections Are Complete For 2020

This year the OWRB Dam Safety Program has completed more than 25 free low hazard-potential dam inspections. This free service provided owners with an onsite inspection, a full inspection report, and materials to guide the continued maintenance of their dams.

There will be no further free low hazard-potential dam inspections this year. To register for a free low-hazard potential dam inspection for next year, please contact the OWRB Dam Safety Program.

"Contact the OWRB" Web Form

We have redesigned our "Contact Us" form to be more dynamic and efficient for the public (image is clickable).

After providing your contact information, the form allows you to choose "Dam Safety" from several topics and services. Your request will be automatically routed to the OWRB Dam Safety staff.