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<br />orders to rehabilitate the dam to make it safe for full storage or to breach the dam. In the event <br />the owner fails to comply with an order to make the dam safe, a breach order is issued to remove <br />the hazard created by the dam and reservoir. If the findings are conditionally satisfactory, full <br />storage is recommended contingent on appropriate monitoring being provided by the owner. <br /> <br />Construction inspections are important to assure that the approved plans are being followed and <br />to assure changed conditions during construction does not jeopardize the safety of the design. <br />The site visits are preceded by a review of the file and history of performance, coordination with <br />the owner, division staff, and other interested parties so they may take part in the inspection. <br /> <br />The dam safety engineers collectively conduct about 800 to 900 dam safety and construction <br />inspections each year. Jurisdictional dams identified for inspection in accordance with the <br />policies of the State Engineer are assigned to the dam safety engineers in each division. The <br />number of inspections to be performed is related to the number of dams in each division and <br />their hazard class. Included in these numbers is the annual inspection of all Class I, one-half of <br />the Class 2, and about one-sixth of the Class 3 dams. Subsequent follow-up and problem solving <br />meetings with dam owners result in additional inspections each year. <br /> <br />In order to track potential problems that could develop at Class 3 dams, the dam safety engineers <br />assign dams to be observed by the division's water commissioners and they file an observation <br />report. The report is reviewed and then furnished to the owner for their information and to <br />implement any recommendations for repair and maintenance. A copy of the Water <br />Commissioner Dam Observation Report form is included in Appendix E. <br /> <br />During FY 03-04, a total of approximately 621 safety inspections and approximately 238 <br />construction inspections were conducted for a total of 859 inspections. In addition, <br />approximately 163 follow-up inspections were made. The safety inspections included 262 Class <br />1 (High hazard), 154 Class 2 (Significant hazard), 130 Class 3 (Low hazard), 1 Class 4 (No <br />hazard), and 1 (other) dams and 73 interim inspections. The combined safety inspections and <br />construction inspections in FY 03-04 resulted in an overall increase in the workload performed <br />by the dam safety staff. This additional workload was incorporated into the overall schedules of <br />the staff. No additional staff was added as a result of the increased workload. <br /> <br />For inspections of federally-owned and FERC-regulated dams that the State Engineer's Office <br />does not participate in, the reports prepared by the federal agencies are received and reviewed. <br /> <br />3.4 Staff Training <br /> <br />A critical element in the Dam Safety Program is the continued training of our personnel to <br />maintain a high level of technical competency, to keep up with changing technology, to develop <br />additional management and communication skills, and to keep abreast of changes in the <br />development of dam safety programs across the country. The following training opportunities <br />were achieved this fiscal year: <br /> <br />1. ASDSO Annual Conference, Dam Safety 2003, Minneapolis, MN (attended by two <br />dam safety engineers); <br /> <br />7 <br />