Examples of data collected for dams after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 to help stakeholders better understand some of the potential benefits of post-event data collection at dams.
Existing hazard potential classifcation systems are numerous and vary within and between the federal and state sectors. These guidelines set forth a hazard potential classifcation system for dams that is simple, clear, concise, and adaptable to any agencys current system. The intent is to provide straightforward defnitions that can be readily understood by the public and applied uniformly by all federal and state dam safety agencies. The guidelines do not establish how the system will be used, such as prescribing specifc design criteria or prioritizing inspections. Those responsibilities remain with the responsible regulatory authority.
Risk-Informed Decision-Making (RIDM) is a method of dam safety evaluation that uses the likelihood of loading, system response given the loading, and consequences of failure to estimate risk. This risk estimate can be used to inform decisions regarding dam safety investments. This approach has many benefits including a greatly improved understanding of the safety of the dam and identifying dam safety vulnerabilities that have not been identified using standards-based evaluation techniques. This website includes dam safety guidelines to evaluate consequences of failure and is intended for use on water dams.