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<br />DAM SAFElY PROGRAM <br /> <br />The State Engineer's Office has a Dam Safety Branch, <br />which administers the State Dam Safety Program. The branch <br />consists of a Design Review Unit and two Field Engineering <br />Units. The Design Review Unit is primarily concerned with <br />reviewing engineering designs, and performing construction <br />inspections. The Field Engineering Units are responsible for <br />safety inspections of about 2,000 jurisdictional dams, <br /> <br />The Design Review Unit reviews formal plans and <br />specifications for jurisdictional dams. The proposed <br />construction or repair of a dam is reviewed to determine <br />compliance with the Design Review Manual, the Rules and <br />Regulations (See Table 2), the Colorado Revised Statutes (See <br />Table 3), and accepted engineering references and practice, <br />Statutes require that plans and specifications be reviewed <br />within six months. The Design Review Unit also reviews <br />engineering studies, such as hydrology and geotechnical <br />reports. These studies are reviewed when time permits and <br />completion of a review can be delayed by other priorities. <br />Plans are usually scheduled for review in the order in which <br />they are received. Review comments and necessary revisions <br />are provided to the owner's engineer, When plans and <br />specifications, construction applications, and studies are <br />approved, the owner and his engineer are notified in writing. <br />Once plans and specifications are approved, the owner must <br />initiate construction within five years, or the design must be <br />resubmitted for approval to insure the design is current with <br />the state of the art. Once the plans are approved, the owner <br />is required to keep the state informed about initiation of <br />construction, progress, and completion of the dam. The state <br />conducts periodic inspections of the construction. <br /> <br />The Design Review Unit also reviews applications for <br />LSWT's and ECD's forwarded from Division Offices. The Unit <br />makes final checks for compliance with the statutes, and for <br />completeness of the application. Applications are generally <br />reviewed within two weeks. <br /> <br />All jurisdictional dams which pose a potential threat to <br />life and property (Class I and Class 11 Dams) are inspected <br />annually or more often if it is determined to be necessary by <br />the State Engineer, Jurisdictional dams with the potential for <br /> <br />5 <br />