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<br />With the passage of the National Dam Safety Program Act (NDSP), PL 104-303 and its <br />subsequent funding, Colorado has applied for and received assistance grants each year since <br />1998. An additional grant was approved for 2003, These funds are being used to provide <br />advanced training to the Dam Safety Branch personnel in the field of dam safety and risk <br />analysis. Additional training is provided under the technical seminar provisions of the Act. The <br />grant funds are also used to acquire emergency communication equipment, upgrade computers, <br />and purchase engineering computer software programs and other equipment. Future grants may <br />be available each year under the Act, subject to appropriations, <br /> <br />3.2 Approval of Plans and Specifications <br /> <br />During FY 02-03, the State Engineer's Office approved plans for four new dams and 39 plans for <br />alteration, modification, or enlargement. Twelve separate hydrology studies were also approved <br />for determination ofthe inflow design flood for spillway design. The estimated cost of <br />construction for the approved plans was $95,169,302 and $42,422 was collected for the <br />examination and filing ofthe submitted plans, The increased reservoir storage resulting from the <br />approved new dams and enlargements is approximately 13,500 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Thirty-nine sets of plans and specifications for construction and twelve hydrology studies were <br />approved by the State Engineer during FY 02-03, as listed in Appendix C. In order to expedite <br />the approval of repair plans for dams, the division dam safety engineers review plans and <br />specifications and perform the construction inspections on selected projects. In addition, six <br />third-party reviews of the plans and specifications were performed in FY 02-03, This enables the <br />owners to repair or construct their dams sooner by shortening the review time. The State <br />Engineer provides review and approval of plans and specifications performed by third parties. <br /> <br />Upon completion of construction, the owner's design engineer submits copies of the "AS- <br />CONSTRUCTED" plans showing any changes made during construction. These plans are <br />reviewed by the engineer who monitored the construction for completeness before being <br />accepted for filing, The superseded plans are disposed and the "AS-CONSTRUCTED" plans <br />serve as the public record as required by the statutes, <br /> <br />Section 37-87-114.5 ofCRS. (2002 Supp.) exempts certain structures from the State Engineer's <br />approval. These are structures not designed or operated for the purposes of storing water, and <br />include: mill tailing impoundments permitted under Article 32 or Article 33 oftitIe 34 ofC.RS, <br />(Minerals or Coal Mines), uranium mill tailing and liquid impoundment structures permitted <br />under Article 11 of Title 25 ofC.R.S" siltation structures permitted under Article 33 of Title 34 <br />of C.RS. (Coal Mines), and structures that only store water below the natural surface of the <br />ground. <br /> <br />Owners of small dams that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the State Engineer are required to <br />submit a Notice ofIntent to Construct a Nonjurisdictional Water Impoundment Structure to the <br />State Engineer prior to beginning construction under Section 37-87-125 of C.R.S, (2002 Supp.). <br /> <br />9 <br />