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<br />FINAL COWMENT <br />The methods described in this paper have been used to establish hazard <br />classifications for darns in colorado, and to ensure that those dams with the <br />greatest potential to cause loss of life and significant property damage are <br />given the highest priority in our inspection program. If used in conjunc- <br />tion with engineering judgement, these methods can also help estimate flood <br />depths and velocities caused by a hypothetical darn failure. While these <br />estimates are valuable for some purposes (E.G. - placing dams into broad <br />hazard categories or selecting general evacuation areas for emergency <br />preparedness), they are just approximations. Dams can fail in many different <br />ways, each of which create a flood of different magnitude and distructive <br />power. In addition, the dynamics of the dam failure flood are extremely <br />complex (debris dams, channel erosion, channel obstructions, transported <br />sediment, etc.), so as to defy exact modeling even if required. <br /> <br />ACKNOWLEDGMENrS <br />The following individuals contributed to the development of methods and <br />criteria described in this paper: <br />John T. Schurer, P.E., Qlief, Field Engineering Unit 1 <br />John E. Holcomb, P .E. <br />nJohn W. Van Sciver. P.E., Olief, Field Engineering Unit 2 <br />Jim G. Norfleet, P.E., Senior Water Resource Engineer <br /> <br />24 <br />