FLOOD05666

• County: Statewide
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Annual Report 1991-1992 Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Council
• Date: 1/1/1991
• Prepared For: State of Colorado
• Prepared By: Colorado Natural Hazards Mitigation Council
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

Dam Safety & Warning Subcommittee

Dam Safety & Warning
SUbC0111111ittee

The Dam Safety and Warning Subcommittee was
formed during October of 1991. The first Subcommit-
tee meeting was conducted at the Coors Engineering
Center in Golden in conjunction with the Fall 1991
Council workshop. Eighteen members representing
state, federal, and municipal governments, in addition
to dam owners, consulting engineers, and business in-
terests attended the initial meeting. The group re-
flects a wide cross section of expertise in dam safety,
operations and planning, and emergency management
and can provide technical advice to other committees
and subcommittees concerning dam safety issues.
During the first meeting, the Subcommittee decided to
concentrate on emergency preparedness for their ac-
tion plan. Four work groups were formed to focus on
specific concerns (topics) in the action plan for dam
safety. They are:
[] E11U!rgency Preparedness Plans and Exer-

ciBes Work Group - to focus on the effectiveness
of dam emergency preparedness plans and exer-
cises (warning and failure),

[] TermillOlogy in E11U!rgency Plans Work
Group - to focus on the terminology used in emer-
gency plans, and the need to adopt a comman lan-
guage,
[] Early Warning Systems Work Group - to focus
on the use of early warning systems, and

[] Training and Workshop Work Group - to fo-
cus on training and workshops for emergency
managers, elected officials, and dam owners.

These work groups meet separately and are preparing
reports on potential mitigation projects for their sub-
jects of expertise.

Training & Workshop Work Group

All members are familiar with state requirements for
dam safety. The response from the dam owner com-
munity regarding the preparation of Emergency Pre-
paredness Plans (EPP's) for Class I (high) and Class II

Jurisdictional1 Dam Ownership Status in Colorado
Type of Owner
Federal State Other Gov't. Private

Hazard Rating

Class I
Class n
Class m
Class IV
TOTAL

48
14
63
15
140

12
20
30
1
63

74
70
118
4
275

Total
21V
322"
1098
137
1824

135
209
885
117
1348

. Class I - Loss of human life is expected in the event offailure ofthe dam while the reservoir is at the high water line.

. Class IT - Significant damage to improved property is expected in the event of failure of the dam while the reservoir is
at the high water line, but no loss of life is expected.

. Class lIT - Loss of human life is not expected, and damage to improved property is expected to be small in the event of
failure of the dam while the reservoir is at the high water line.

. Class IV - Loss of human life is not expected, and damage will occur only to the dam owner's property in the event of
failure ofthe dam while the reservoir is at the high water line.

1 Greater than ten feet high to spillway, or twenty acres in surface area at the high water line, or 100 acre-feet in capacity
at the high water line.

2 Includes one Class I non-jurisdictioral dam.

S Includes nine Class II non-jurisdictional dams.

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