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<br />4.2 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT <br /> <br />4.2.1 Discussion <br /> <br />Responsibilities of the federal agencies for <br />nonfederal dams differ widely and involve dams built <br />with federal technical and/or financial assistance and <br />dama aubject to permits and licenaes. Section 2.4 <br />contains a summary of each agency's involvement with <br />nonfederal dams. <br /> <br />Except for some of the dams falling under federal <br />regulatory authority, the U.S. Government does not <br />attempt to supervise nonfederal dams in the interest of <br />public safety, not even those that may have been <br />constructed under its programs. The states are expecte, <br />to provide safety supervision for theae dama. Only in <br />the case of nonfederal dams engineered and constructed <br />with federal assistance (principally under the USDA <br />Small Watershed Program and Resource Conservation and <br />Development Program), ia a degree of federal <br />responsibility for safety clearly defined and accepted. <br />In this case, the U.S. government corrects deficiencies <br />involving (1) latent conditions not discovered during <br />original investigations or construction, and (2) <br />inadequate or faulty designs, including improper hazard <br />classification at the time of construction. Also, the <br />U.S. Government has, to varying degrees, helped dam <br />owners with plans and inspections to facilitate <br />operation and maintenance, development of emergency <br />plans, and recognition of land uae changes that. could <br />alter the hazard classifications of dams. It has also <br />encouraged land use controls to regulate development in <br />areas that could be affected by dam failures. <br /> <br />As a result of the Corps of Engineers inspection <br />program, nonfederal dam owners have become aware of the <br />very serious defects 1n some of their dams. These <br />defects relate to (1) deterioration, primarily due to <br />the dam's age and/or lack of maintenance; (2) dam <br />constructed to meet a lower hazard classification than <br />that applicable at the time of inspection (generally <br />these changes in hazard classification have occurred as <br />a result of actions by others over which dam owners hav. <br />little or no control); and (3) change~ in the criteria <br />by which the adequacy of design and/or construction is <br />judged. <br /> <br />-21- <br />