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<br />- " <br /> <br />Dam Safety and Renovation <br /> <br />The Commissioner of Reclamatin is responsible for overall coordination and advise on <br />development and operation ofInterior's Safety of Dam Program. Interior owns more than 2,050 <br />dams (450 dams could threaten public safety if they were to fail). <br /> <br />The objective of BaR's Safety of Dam Program is to ensure that structures don't create any <br />unacceptible risks to public safety and welfare, property. environment. and cultural resources. <br />BaR identifies structures posing unacceptable risks and takes corrective actions to reduce or <br />eliminate risks. BaR has completed 30 modifications under the authority of the Reclamation <br />Saety of Dams Act of 1978 (amended 1984). Our highest obligation is to maintain public safety <br />and since we are responsible for 475 major structures across America's West that impound huge <br />amounts of water, it is our responsibility to ensure those facilities are adequate and secure. <br /> <br />To further ensure safety, Commissioner Eluid Martinez in 1995 requested an independent, <br />comprehensive study of Reclamation's Safety of Dams Program. The Janurary 1997 report found <br />. that we have an effective Dam Safety Program overseen by highly competent staff using <br />state-of-the-art technical standards and expertise. The report recommended two new officers that <br />report directly to the Commissioner on safety and security. We have just hired an Independent <br />Dam Safety Officer and are advertising for a Facilities Security Officer. Reclamation has started <br />annual reporting on dam safety operations on all dams. We are also updating Emergency Action <br />Planning on all dams that pose a threat to public safety if they were to fail and have accelerated <br />Early Warming System implementation activities. Dam safety and the security of our facilities are <br />ongoing, crucial issues that Reclamation will continue to address. <br /> <br />Roosevelt Damffwin Buttes Dam modifications <br />Last year BaR rededicated Roosevelt Dam in Arizona after providing additional precautions in <br />the event ofa flood. This kind of work continues on other dams, including the modification of <br />Twin Buttes Dam in Texas. <br />