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.
Tree and woody vegetation penetrations of earthen dams and their appurtenances have been demonstrated to be causes of serious structural deterioration and distress that can result in the failure of earthen dams. Damage to earthen dams resulting from plant and animal penetrations is a significant dam safety issue in the United States. The purpose of this technical manual for Dam Owners is to advance awareness of the characteristics and seriousness of dam safety problems associated with tree and woody vegetation growth impacts on earthen dams, provide a higher level of understanding of dam safety issues by reviewing current damage control policies, provide state-of-practice guidance for remediation design considerations associated with damages associated with tree and woody vegetation growth on earthen dams, and to provide the rationale and state-of-practice techniques and procedures for the management of desirable and undesirable vegetation on earthen dams.
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.
This brochure provides a summary of the information presented in FEMA 484, Technical Manual: Conduits through Embankment Dams, including the effects of conduits on embankment dams, internal erosion and backward piping erosion, the factors that can lead to embankment dam failure, and best practices for conduits through embankment dams.
This brochure provides a summary of the information presented in FEMA 484, Technical Manual: Conduits through Embankment Dams, including the effects of conduits on embankment dams, internal erosion and backward piping erosion, the factors that can lead to embankment dam failure, and best practices for conduits through embankment dams.
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.
This workshop report documents expert consideration of (1) potential seepage problems and solutions associated with penetrations through embankment dams, e.g., outlet works conduits; (2) filter design criteria and observed performance; (3) inspection of dams for detection of seepage problems, failure modes associated with seepage and internal erosion, and analysis of risks associated with seepage and internal erosion; (4) investigation of seepage problems and concerns at dams, including the use of geophysical techniques, and instrumentation and measurements for evaluation of seepage performance; (5) remediation of seepage problems through cutoff, reduction of flow, and collection and control of seepage, including the use of geosynthetics; and (6) impacts of the aging of seepage control and collection system components on seepage performance.
Text Version: This workshop report documents expert consideration of (1) potential seepage problems and solutions associated with penetrations through embankment dams, e.g., outlet works conduits; (2) filter design criteria and observed performance; (3) inspection of dams for detection of seepage problems, failure modes associated with seepage and internal erosion, and analysis of risks associated with seepage and internal erosion; (4) investigation of seepage problems and concerns at dams, including the use of geophysical techniques, and instrumentation and measurements for evaluation of seepage performance; (5) remediation of seepage problems through cutoff, reduction of flow, and collection and control of seepage, including the use of geosynthetics; and (6) impacts of the aging of seepage control and collection system components on seepage performance.
Safe dam operation includes comprehensive, state-of-practice guidance on timely inspection and observation of wildlife damages, accurate wildlife identification and mitigation, and appropriate dam design, repair, and preventive measures. This technical manual provides guidance to dam specialists, including dam owners, operators, inspectors, state dam officials, and consulting engineers, in the following areas: (1) the impacts wildlife can have on earthen dams; (2) habitat, range, description, and behavior of common nuisance wildlife to aid in the proper identification at the dam; (3) state-of-practice methods to prevent and mitigate adverse wildlife impacts on earthen dams; and (4) state-of-practice design guidance for repair and preventive design associated with nuisance wildlife intrusion.
One of the outcomes of the Folsom tainter gate failure was the recognition of the need to revisit the issues related to gate performance and safety. This workshop report documents lessons learned from the Folsom tainter gate failure and applies those lessons across the broad spectrum of spillway gates. The report provides recommendations for future action and serves as a reference for regulatory agencies as they refine their requirements in this area.
This workshop report documents expert findings in three areas: risk analysis, standards, and meteorological needs. Risk analysis focuses on items relating to uncertainty factors that influence reservoir inflow values and the computation of the Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) of extreme floods. Standards issues include physical factors that influence the methodology for the computation of extreme floods, including the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF). Meteorological needs focus on rainfall analysis from both the standards base analysis and a risk-based analysis, including precipitation analysis, rainfall frequency analysis, and real-time storm analysis.