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 document provides procedures and guidance for best practices concerning embankment dam filter design and construction, and represents an effort to collect and disseminate current information and experience having a technical consensus. This document is intended for use by personnel familiar with embankment dams, such as designers, inspectors, construction oversight personnel, and dam safety engineers.
FEMA P-759
This biennial report describes the progress of the NDSP in FY 2006 and 2007. This report also focuses on what must be accomplished over the short- and long-term to protect the American public from dam failure, including legislative changes to be implemented in the next reauthorization of the NDSP.
This technical manual provides the procedures and guidance for “best practices” concerning the design, construction, problem identification and evaluation, inspection, maintenance, renovation, and repair associated with plastic pipe used in embankment dams.The manual provides in-depth analyses of loading conditions, structural design, and hydraulic design of plastic pipe, and is intended for use by personnel familiar with embankment dams, drains, siphons, and conduits, such as designers, inspectors, construction oversight personnel, and dam safety engineers.
This technical manual provides the procedures and guidance for “best practices” concerning the design, construction, problem identification and evaluation, inspection, maintenance, renovation, and repair associated with a plastic pipe used in embankment dams. The manual provides in-depth analyses of loading conditions, structural design, and hydraulic design of plastic pipe, and is intended for use by personnel familiar with embankment dams, drains, siphons, and conduits, such as designers, inspectors, construction oversight personnel, and dam safety engineers.
There has been an emphasis in the European Union (EU) community on the investigation of extreme flood processes and the uncertainties related to these processes. Over a 3-year period, the EU and the U.S. dam safety community (1) coordinated their efforts and collected information needed to integrate data and knowledge with U.S. activities and interests related to embankment overtopping and failure analysis; (2) used the data to improve embankment failure analysis methods; and (3) disseminated the results to the U.S. dam safety community. This final report integrates EU and U.S. research findings and results related to earthen embankment overtopping failure over the 3-year period.
Preventing loss of life from dam failure is the paramount concern of the National Dam Safety Program. This concern has intensified as a result of recent disasters that have focused attention on the state of the critical infrastructure in the United States and raised questions on the safety of dams nationwide. As part of a recent initiative to promote the implementation of Emergency Action Plans at all high-hazard potential dams across the United States, FEMA has asked all of the states to adopt the applicable recommendations contained in this paper.
Preventing loss of life from dam failure is the paramount concern of the National Dam Safety Program. This concern has intensified as a result of recent disasters that have focused attention on the state of the critical infrastructure in the United States and raised questions on the safety of dams nationwide. As part of a recent initiative to promote the implementation of Emergency Action Plans at all high-hazard potential dams across the United States, FEMA has asked all of the states to adopt the applicable recommendations contained in this paper.
There has been an emphasis in the European Union (EU) community on the investigation of extreme flood processes and the uncertainties related to these processes. Over a 3-year period, the EU and the U.S. dam safety community (1) coordinated their efforts and collected information needed to integrate data and knowledge with U.S. activities and interests related to embankment overtopping and failure analysis; (2) used the data to improve embankment failure analysis methods; and (3) disseminated the results to the U.S. dam safety community. This final report integrates EU and U.S. research findings and results related to earthen embankment overtopping failure over the 3-year period.
This report addresses (1) outlet works failure modes, including failure by seepage and piping along the outlet works conduit; (2) conduit materials, selection criteria, and construction methods, including pipe material types and their advantages, disadvantages, and appropriate applications; (3) gates, valves, and controls, including types of gates and valves and their applications; (4) energy dissipaters, including stilling basins and energy dissipating valves; (5) rehabilitation of conduits, including in-place rehabilitation and replacement; and (6) outlet works inspection, including the determination of appropriate frequency; systems, methods, and techniques; and consideration of design criteria to accommodate inspection.
This report addresses (1) outlet works failure modes, including failure by seepage and piping along the outlet works conduit; (2) conduit materials, selection criteria, and construction methods, including pipe material types and their advantages, disadvantages, and appropriate applications; (3) gates, valves, and controls, including types of gates and valves and their applications; (4) energy dissipaters, including stilling basins and energy dissipating valves; (5) rehabilitation of conduits, including in-place rehabilitation and replacement; and (6) outlet works inspection, including the determination of appropriate frequency; systems, methods, and techniques; and consideration of design criteria to accommodate inspection.