Tuesday, May 31, is National Dam Safety Awareness Day in the U.S. On this day, the dam safety community asks policymakers, lawmakers and citizens to remember that dam safety is a shared responsibility and to recognize that the risks associated with dams can affect everyone, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO).
National Dam Safety Awareness Day was established to commemorate the failure of South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Pa. The Johnstown disaster — on May 31, 1889 — was the worst dam failure in the history of the U.S., with over 2,200 lives lost. Recent crises, like the failure of the Oroville Dam spillway in California or the failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams in Michigan, highlight the poor condition of many dams in the U.S., ASDSO said.
There are more than 90,000 dams in the U.S. They are an extremely important part of this nation’s infrastructure and can serve several functions, including water supply for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and community use; flood control; recreation; and clean, renewable energy through hydropower.
The average age of the dams in the U.S. is 56 years. As population growth and development continues, the overall number of high-hazard-potential (HHP) dams (those whose failure could cause loss of life) increases as well, with the number climbing to more than 16,500 high-hazard potential dams as of 2021, up from 15,000 in 2018. The number is increasing because more development is occurring downstream, referred to as “hazard creep.”
ASDSO says state dam safety programs have primary regulatory responsibility for almost 75% of U.S. dams. State dam safety programs provide enforcement, oversee remediation of deficient dams, and work with local officials and dam owners on emergency preparedness. Although most states have legislative authority to carry out a comprehensive dam safety program, many are lacking in specific areas. Some states are unable, by specific language in their law, to regulate certain types of dams. Other states have limited ability to enforce the law. In some states, officials have no recourse if dam owners do not carry out safety repairs ordered by the state.
Additionally, many state programs lack adequate budgets, staff and authority to carry out these duties and ensure public safety. There is an ongoing, serious need in almost every state to pump additional state resources into these programs.
Recently, the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress recognized the federal government’s role in improving dam safety in the U.S. by including about $2 billion within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This funding, among other things, supports a HHP dam rehabilitation grant program through the FEMA National Dam Safety Program. However, ASDSO estimates that the cost of rehabilitating non-federal dams in the U.S. has risen to more than $75 billion, and the cost to rehabilitate those dams where the risk is highest exceeds $24 billion.
