Dam Safety Issues and Challenges
Dams are a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure—equal in importance to bridges, roads, airports, and other major elements of infrastructure. Dams provide a life-sustaining resource to people in all United States regions; however, they must be maintained to keep them safe. Failure or misoperation can result in the release of the reservoir contents - this includes water, mine wastes, or agricultural refuse - causing negative impacts upstream or downstream or at locations remote from the dam. The negative impacts of primary concern are the loss of human life, economic loss including property damage, lifeline disruption, and environmental damage. This situation demands greater attention and investment to reduce risks to public safety and economic assets.
By 2030, seven out of 10 dams in the United States will be over 50 years old. While the age of a dam is not necessarily a direct indicator of its condition, it could indicate that it was not built to today's standards. Occasional upgrade or rehabilitation is necessary due to deterioration, changing technical standards, improved techniques, better understanding of the area's precipitation conditions, and changes in downstream populations or land use.
The Association of State Dam Officials (ASDSO) estimates that the total cost to rehabilitate the nation’s non-federal dams exceeds $65 billion. To rehabilitate just those dams categorized as most critical, or high-hazard potential, would cost over $20 billion, a cost that continues to rise as maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation are delayed. Many dam owners, especially private dam owners, find it difficult to finance rehabilitation projects. Investment is needed to rehabilitate deficient dams and improve the efficacy of policies and regulatory programs that oversee dam safety programs.
There is an urgent need to invest in the safety of our dams. The May 2020 failure of the Edenville and Sanford Dams in Michigan shows the high cost the public pays when dam safety is not prioritized. When extreme rainfall caused the embankments to fail, more than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate the area, and damages were estimated at $250 million.
Intersecting almost all dam safety issues is the need for public education about dams. The ordinary citizen is unaware that the beautiful lakes on which they boat, ski, or fish are only there because of manmade dams. Developers build in dam-break flood inundation areas knowing nothing about the potential devastation an upstream dam could cause should it ever fail. In fact, some developers and zoning officials are completely unaware of dams within their community. Even if citizens understand and are aware of dams, they still can be overly confident in the infallibility of these manmade structures. Living in dam-break flood-prone areas is a risk.
Living with Dams: Know Your Risks, was prepared by ASDSO to help address these issues and answer questions about dams including what purposes they serve, what risks are associated with dams, and where you can get information about how to react if you are affected by one.