A revised approach for managing dam safety risks

Managing a large portfolio of dams is a challenge for any dam owner. With changing awareness of hydrologic and seismic hazards as a result of recent floods and earthquakes and deterioration and physical changes within an ageing inventory, the identified potential failure modes and estimated risks at a given dam need to be reviewed periodically and often updated. In August 2011, The Bureau of Reclamation issued a revised version of its Dam Safety Public Protection Guidelines. While many of the elements of previous versions of the guidelines have been maintained, new concepts have also been introduced.