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<br />I. Historical Perspective <br /> <br />Several dam failures in the United States between 1972 and 1977 <br /> <br />contributed both directly and indirectly to the loss of nearly 500 lives and <br /> <br />$2 billion property damage. These failures heightened public concern about <br /> <br />the safety of both Federal and non-Federal dams. <br /> <br />Various institutional <br /> <br />actions, for improving dam safety in the U,S., were motivated by the failure <br /> <br />of these dams. The significant dam failures and institutional responses are <br /> <br />reviewed in the following sections for historical perspective. <br /> <br />Events in the early 1970's included the near-failure of the Lower Van <br /> <br />Norman Dam during the February 1971, San Fernando, California earthquake; <br /> <br />the Buffalo Creek, West Virginia, disaster in February 1972 (125 lives); and <br /> <br />the dam failure at Rapid City, South Dakota of June 1972 (237 lives). Also, <br /> <br />in June 1972, Hurricane Agnes cut a path of unprecedented flooding in the <br /> <br />~ <br />\ <br /> <br />Northeastern region of the United States and posed serious threats to a <br /> <br />large number of dams, which were overtopped and damaged. <br /> <br />" <br />I' <br />I <br />I <br />! <br />I <br /> <br />Public concern over these incidents stimulated Congress in July of 1972 <br /> <br />to quickly enact legislation concerning dam safety. <br /> <br />On August 8, 1972, <br /> <br />President Nixon signed P. L. 92-367, which authorized the Secretary of the <br /> <br />Army, through the Corps of Engineers, to undertake a National Program of <br /> <br />Inspection of Dams. The law required the Corps to report to Congress on (1) <br /> <br />an inventory of all dams in the United States, (2) recommendations for a <br /> <br />comprehensive national dam safety program, and (3) inspection review results <br /> <br />of certain dams. <br /> <br />P.L. 92-367 applied only to dams 25 feet or more in <br /> <br />height, or which had an impounding capacity of 50 acre-feet or more, <br /> <br />Structures six feet or less in height, regardless of storage capacity, or <br /> <br />which had a maximum impounding capacity of 15 acre-feet, were excluded. <br /> <br />Dams under the jurisdiction or licensing authorities of the U.S. Bureau of <br /> <br />.1- <br />