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<br />THE DAM FAILURE HAZARD; AWARENESS AND P!tEPAREDNESS PLANNING AS A <br /> <br />NONSTRUCTURAL* MEANS OF IMPROVING DAM SAFETY IN COLORADO <br /> <br />For many years, the possibility of dam failure has been reco9nizE~d as a <br /> <br />significant hazard in Colorado. Dams have been constructed in Colorado since <br /> <br />the early 1900' s for human water supply, irrigation, livestock, flood protec- <br /> <br />tion, energy generation, and recreation. <br /> <br />The office of the State Engineer, <br /> <br />whose statutory responsibility includes darn safety, has been deeply concerned <br /> <br />and has vigorously attempted to reduce t:his hazard. <br /> <br />In broader t:erms, both <br /> <br />the executive and the legislative branches of government have been concerned <br /> <br />and have taken action. In general, agenc.Les of State government have stressed <br /> <br />means of hazard reduction closely associated wi.th a darn 1 s structure: <br /> <br />inspec- <br /> <br />tioHs, construction and repair standards, and spillway design standardization. <br /> <br />Progress has been significant. <br /> <br />Colorado has an average annual precipitation of less than 16 inches; <br /> <br />runoff from snowpack in the high mountain areas represents a vital resource in <br /> <br />this semi-arid state; control of the runoEf through reservoir development--darn <br /> <br />construction--has become a historic priorit.y. Coloradans have long been aware <br /> <br />of this priority and still have not bE,en able to retain their full share <br /> <br />* <br /> <br />For purposes of this paper the term "nonstructural" I"efers to those <br />elements of dam safety that generally relat.e to measures the public and <br /> <br />governments can take that are not closely related to the dam (founda- <br />tions, abutments) itself; e.g., warning" and evacuation plcills, zoning <br /> <br />etc. <br />