Dam Safety Awareness Day - Getting Ready for Hurricane Season

May 27, 2020

Dear Dam Owner:

May 31, 2020 is National Dam Safety Awareness Day and June 1, 2020 marks the beginning of the six month Atlantic Hurricane Season. It's important that you stay informed before, during and after a hurricane or tropical storm event. As a citizen of the Commonwealth you should be aware of what warning systems and information resources are available to you. These systems and resources include:

Local radio and tv stations
NOAA weather radios
Cell phone emergency text alerts and weather applications
National Weather Service alerts
Local emergency officials or police
VDEM bulletins

Threats to public safety are always present. Whether caused by natural, accidental, or intentional acts, these threats can lead to catastrophic consequences. As a dam owner in the Commonwealth of Virginia, being prepared to prevent, minimize and/or respond to events that impact the safety of your dam is a critical component of not just dam safety, but also public safety.

The Code of Virginia requires dam owners to operate and maintain dams in a safe manner. To accomplish this, the owner has the responsibility to make periodic inspections and perform routine maintenance and repairs. Owners of High and Significant hazard potential classification dams are required to have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) while owners of Low hazard potential classification dams are required to have an Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP). During storm events and emergencies, the EAP or EPP provides critical action steps and is the roadmap dam owners use to help protect life and property.

In observance of Dam Safety Awareness Day and ahead of the 2020 Hurricane Season, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Dam Safety Program is offering the following information to assist dam owners.

Reach out to your professional engineer and discuss the specifics of your dam, its current condition, its operation and maintenance schedule and establish a plan of action should an emergency situation occur.
Locate and review your dam’s emergency action or emergency preparedness plan.
1. If you don’t have one, get one in place as soon as possible. Specific requirements can be found on our website at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/document/ds-va-code-4vac50-20-10.pdf in sections 4VAC50-20-175 or 4VAC50-20-177 of the Virginia Impounding Structure Regulations.
2. If an emergency action or emergency preparedness plan is in place, ensure that all contacts and contact information are up-to-date. Provide any updates to the local emergency services contact and DCR Dam Safety.
If your dam has a low-flow valve or other draining mechanism, make sure it is functioning properly. Consult with your professional engineer about a safe drawdown plan ahead of storm events.
1. During a forecasted storm event where heavy, prolonged precipitation is expected, your professional engineer can help you implement a plan to safely lower your lake level by up to 6 inches per day (24-hour period). By lowering the normal water level in your lake, you provide extra storage for when rainfall begins.
2. Lowering lake levels by more than 6 inches per day is not allowed as rapid drawdown of a lake level could result in critical damage to the structural integrity of your dam. Planning ahead is critical for the safety of your dam and those who live downstream.
Routinely conduct visual inspections of your dam and remove any trash, debris and obstructions from the primary and emergency spillways. Contact your professional engineer if any dam-related issues are found (erosion, seepage, slope failures, rodent holes, etc.)

Dam Safety is a shared responsibility. Recognize the risks associated with your dam, know your role in the proper and safe inspection, operation and maintenance of a dam and be prepared to take necessary actions in the event of an emergency.

To find the DCR Dam Safety contact for your locality, go to https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/dsfpmcontx

To enroll in the Dam Safety Inventory System, go to https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/ds-dsis

For information about the Virginia Dam Safety Program, go to https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/dam-safety-index

Thank you,
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Division of Dam Safety and Floodplain Management