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<br />002789 <br /> <br />Dam failure is also an important hazard in Colorado that may be in part <br />related to 1ands1iding. Large slides may impact dam abutments, block <br />spillways or lead to overtopping and erosion of a dam or spillway, ultimately <br />leading to dam failure. Since there are 586 "high and significant" hazard <br />dams in Colorado, many in areas where steep slopes also exist, the possibility <br />that landslides can contribute to dam failure is not remote. <br /> <br />The need for planning: Lands1iding occurs in every state in the nation, <br />producing significant impacts to the economies of more than half the states. <br />While landslides can and do occur as specific local events, as much as one <br />third of the nation's annual landslide loss is associated with heavy rains or <br />snowmelt that produces major statewide or regional landslide disasters. <br /> <br />"Lands1iding of this sort often extends beyond the boundaries <br />of any single state or local governmental entity. Because of <br />this, and because effective measures for reducing landslide <br />losses require the cooperation of federal, state, local. and <br />private entities, reduction of landslide losses should be <br />viewed as important state and national goals requiring strong <br />'state and national leadership." (NRC, 1985) <br /> <br />Olshansky and Rogers in their 1987 article, "Unstable Ground: <br />Policy in the United States" emphasize the seriousness of the <br /> <br />Landslide <br /> <br />situation: <br /> <br />"Public policies for reducing landslide hazards and compensatin9 <br />landslide v.ictims are at best piecemeal and poorly coordinated; <br />at worst, they are misguided, unenforced or nonexistent. <br />Neither legislatures nor the courts have taken a comprehensive <br />approach toward solving this problem." <br /> <br />Successful and cost-effective national landslide mitigation programs have been <br />implemented in Japan and in other countries, and deserve the attention of <br />political leaders, scientists, engineers and planners in this country, based <br />on annual landslide loss figures alone. In the United States. although there <br />have been some impressive and successful local demonstrations of landslide <br />hazard mitigation, information about these activities has not been widely <br />disseminated. In both Colorado and the United States as a whole, the need to <br /> <br />- 3 - <br />