National Dam Safety Program Publications
The National Dam Safety Program provides a variety of publications, including:
- Research Needs Workshop Reports
- Technical Manuals, Guides and Reports
- Technical Advisories
- Safety Series Fact Sheets
- Response and Recovery (R&R) Dam Response Operations Matrices
- Dam Safety & Risk MAP/Flood Mapping Studies Fact Sheet Series
- DSS-WISE Fact Sheets
- FEMA P-1015, Technical Manual: Overtopping Protection for Dams (ZIP, 410MB)
Search for Dam Safety Publications
Search for documents below, or view our pages on Federal Guidelines, National Dam Safety Program Information, Resources for the General Public, or Resources for States.
You can order publications from the FEMA Distribution Center.
This brochure is designed to help the dam owner manage and reduce nuisance wildlife and wildlife damages at earthen dams. The brochure provides information on the types of nuisance wildlife damages, wildlife observation during routine inspections, wildlife identification, and basic damage repair.
These guidelines provide the basic framework for the earthquake design and evaluation of dams. The general philosophy and principles for each part of the framework are described in sufficient detail to achieve a reasonable degree of uniform application among the federal agencies involved in the planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and regulation of dams. This document includes general guidelines for specifying design earthquake loadings (for design or safety evaluation) and for performing seismic analyses for the design of new dams (for evaluating the safety of existing dams or modifying existing dams). The guidelines are presented in four parts: selection of design or safety evaluation for earthquakes; characterization of ground motions; seismic analyses of the dams and foundations; and evaluation of structural adequacy for earthquake loading. The CD-ROM, FEMA 93CD, 2005, contains all of the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: FEMA 64; FEMA 65; FEMA 93; FEMA 94; FEMA 148; and FEMA 333.
This glossary provides a common terminology for dam safety for use within and among federal agencies. The terms are generic and applicable to all dams, regardless of size, owner, or location. The CD-ROM, FEMA 93CD, 2005, contains all of the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: FEMA 64; FEMA 65; FEMA 93; FEMA 94; FEMA 148; and FEMA 333.44.
These guidelines encourage strict safety standards in the practices and procedures employed by Federal agencies or required of dam owners regulated by the Federal agencies. The guidelines provide the most complete and authoritative statement available of the desired management practices for promoting dam safety and the welfare of the public. The guidelines apply to Federal practices for dams with a direct federal interest; the guidelines do not attempt to establish technical standards and are not intended to supplant or conflict with state or local government responsibilities for the safety of dams under their jurisdiction.
The Years 2002 and 2003 have been marked by significant accomplishments in national dam safety and security. Many of the accomplishments are the results of strategies and initiatives envisioned or implemented in 1998 and 1999, the first 2 years of National Dam Safety Program funding. Under the leadership of FEMA, state assistance funds have enabled all participating states to better their programs through increased inspections, emergency action planning, and the purchase of needed equipment. There is now a national research program in dam safety that is focusing on priorities, producing products for both the layperson and the expert, and developing technological tools that drive data collection and analysis toward a better understanding of risk and remediation needs.
Several areas for future development related to the impacts of plants and animals on earthen dams are documented in this report, including (1) the development of tools to educate dam owners and engineers on how to spot problems caused by plant and animal penetrations, how to prevent these problems from occurring, and how to mitigate or repair existing problems; (2) the analysis of tools and methods for repairing animal burrows on dams; and (3) collaboration with other groups, such as federal wildlife agencies that have research programs in place.
Several areas for future development related to the impacts of plants and animals on earthen dams are documented in this report, including (1) the development of tools to educate dam owners and engineers on how to spot problems caused by plant and animal penetrations, how to prevent these problems from occurring, and how to mitigate or repair existing problems; (2) the analysis of tools and methods for repairing animal burrows on dams; and (3) collaboration with other groups, such as federal wildlife agencies that have research programs in place.
National Dam Safety Program | John Roche