State Non Federal Dam Safety Programs

Overall state compliance with the FEMA/ASDSO Model State Dam Safety Program guidelines is mixed. Significant gaps exist among most states in each of the areas of legislative/regulatory authority, permitting, and inspection activities. States generally rate themselves fair to poor on training and educating their own staffs and on promoting public awareness and educating dam owners. Owner and state vigilance for safety need to be stepped up as the 80,000 non-Federal dams continue to age and deteriorate, as development encroaches below existing dams, as new dams develop, as old technology yields to new technology, and as the global climate changes.