PUB00008

• Year: 2005
• Title: State Engineer's 20th Annual Report on Dam Safety
• CWCB Section: Finance
• Author: Division of Water Resources
• Description: State Engineer's 20th Annual Report on Dam Safety
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

2. FEMA Spillway Workshop, Denver (attended by one dam safety engineer);

3. Association of Engineering Geologists, Dams Symposium, Vail (attended by one dam
safety engineer);

4. ASDSO Regional Technical Seminar on Seepage and Piping, Boulder (attended by
eleven dam safety engineers);

5. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Safety Evaluation of Existing Dams Seminar, Denver
(attended by one dam safety engineer);

6. FEMA HEC-RAS training seminar, Emmitsburg, MD (attended by one dam safety
engineer);

7. FEMA Spillway Hydrologic Deficiencies Workshop, Emmitsburg, MD (attended by
one dam safety engineer);

8. U.S. Society on Dams Potential Failure Modes Workshop, St. Louis, MO (attended
by one dam safety engineer);

3.5 Emergency Preparedness Plans

Emergency preparedness for incidents at dams that jeopardize the public safety, including the
failure of dams, has become an integral part of dam safety programs across the nation. All the
federal dam owning/regulating agencies and most states require that plans be formulated in order
to detect incidents at dams, give adequate warning, and maintain preparedness for the eventual
failure or misoperation of dams. Colorado has been actively involved in this area since 1981,
ultimately requiring that Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) be prepared for High and
Significant Hazard dams as part ofthe regulations for dam safety adopted in September 1988.
Although all high hazard dams have such a plan, much work is still needed to update, maintain,
and exercise the plans annually. Approximately 126 EPP's were reviewed during the fiscal year.

Approximately 98 percent of the significant hazard dams have plans on file. The owners of
significant hazard dams that do not have a plan have been notified ofthe requirement to prepare
them. The dam safety engineers continue to assist dam owners in the preparation of their EPP's.
In some cases, we have prepared the plans for the owners. This will continue to be enforced
during the following year of inspections. We also participate in a variety of emergency exercises
in coordination with federal, state, and local emergency managers.

3.6 Security Issues

Awareness of security issues surrounding the nation's infrastructure has increased following the
events of September 11, 2001. Dams are an integral part of the nation's, and this state's, critical
infrastructure. Through training and correspondence with others practicing in dam safety,
personnel from the Dam Safety Branch have gained an understanding ofthe need to have

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