FLOOD06834

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: State Non-federal Dam Safety Programs-1985
• Date: 12/1/1985
• Prepared By: FEMA
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Educational/Technical/Reference Information

ABSTRACT

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This report sununarizes the effectiveness of the states, and expresses

their needs and concerns, in conducting non-Federal dam safety programs.

State programs and concerns were evaluated from survey questionnaire

responses from all fifty states in the areas of 1) statutory authority of

the states to regulate dam safety, 2) available funding resources and

personnel for conducting their dam safety activities, 3) expressions of the

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importance of ten fundamental dam safety program issues and needs, and 4)

inventory of regulated dams, high hazard dams and unsafe dams. The study

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also compares state program progress since a similar 1982 survey. The study

shows that only twenty-one states have "adequate" programs, four states have

"marginal" programs, and the remaining twenty-five states have "inadequate"

programs because of deficient budgets, dam safety laws, or insufficient

number of personnel. However, thirty-two states have progressed with their

dam safety programs since 1982, with improved statutory authority or with

increased budgets.

Fifty-siK percent of the states who represent only

sixty-three percent of the U.S, Non-Federal dams spend over eighty-two

percent of the total state budget for dam safety and have seventy-seven

percent of the total state dam safety personnel. The states reported that

they are regulating 80,536 dams, of which 9,247 are in the "high hazard"

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category. 1948 dams are reported to remain "unsafe," since the end of the

1981 Corps of Engineers National Inspection Program. The states eKpress a

need for public awareness programs and Federal initiatives which encourage

better, and sustain existing, state dam safety programs.

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