Dam Safety Awareness Day is commemorated each year on May 31. National Dam Safety Awareness Day is a reminder that while dams provide valuable services to communities nationwide, none are risk free.
Dams across the U.S. serve a vital role in reducing flood risks for communities. They also support wildlife habitats, offer recreational opportunities, generate power and aid river navigation for vessels.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dam Safety Program is in place to ensure USACE dams continue to safely provide their intended services.
“The Dam Safety Program’s primary goal is to ensure the safety of the dams in our inventory, prioritizing public safety. We do this through a risk informed approach; constantly assessing the projects,” said Kate Brandner, Louisville District Dam Safety chief. “Through risk assessments, we consider external events and what risks they pose to the projects, like large flood events, earthquakes, along with the performance of the projects, assessing consequences that would occur should an issue develop at a project. We use all available resources to ensure that the projects are performing as well as they can and document what needs to be done to have continued good performance of the projects.”
In addition to Brandner, the Louisville District Dam Safety team consists of Jackie Henn, Scott Kelly, Kyle Murray, Roger Olson, Megan Jones, Jim Kelly, Connor Estes, Emily Anderson, Emily Hild, Kristen Enzweiler, Joe Carnall and Robby Wheeler.
“Leading teams through Periodic Inspections and day-to-day requirements in Dam Safety is incredibly rewarding,” Brandner said. “It enables me, as an office worker, to engage with operations personnel that know and care about their projects, and hopefully provide them with some guidance as to how we as an organization can continue to have our dams performing safely. I have found that I can be a sounding board, appreciating their assessments of issues and working to ensure a path forward to any necessary repairs will be effective.”
With 17 flood risk management (FRM) dams across Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio, the Louisville District Dam Safety team conducts rigorous inspections, maintenance and rehabilitation to prevent potential failures and reduce flood risks. In fact, since their construction, these 17 lake projects have helped prevent more than $3.9 billion in flood damages. These structures protect millions of people downstream by managing water levels, mitigating flood damage and preserving vital resources.
This spring, many members of the Dam Safety team mobilized to support operations staff at the projects to ensure continued operations through record-high pools and unprecedented rainfall events. “The flood risk management projects performed great through the ongoing event (several of our projects remain high to this day), and that is in no small part due to the people that were out there during the flood event, and the great staff we have working on the projects every day,” Brandner added.
The Louisville District also implements the dam safety mission over a total of nine navigation locks and dams on the Ohio River and the Green River.
USACE maintains the National Inventory of Dams which documents all known dams in the U.S. that meets certain criteria. This database provides the public with the ability to search for specific data about dams and serves as a resource to support awareness of dams and actions to prepare for a dam related emergency.
“Being part of a team that shares a passion for public safety is exactly what I was looking for in my career,” said Megan Jones, Louisville District geotechnical engineer and Greater Miami River Basin coordinator. “As a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), and as someone who grew up around lakes and rivers, flood mitigation has always been a special interest of mine. That’s why I strongly believe in the importance of inspecting, assessing and understanding the risks associated with each of our Flood Risk Management projects. We not only use this knowledge to inform ourselves (USACE) as dam tenders, but also share it with local communities — empowering them to make informed decisions about their own safety. We work hard to ensure that everyone receives the most accurate and up-to-date information. I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the Louisville District’s Dam Safety Team!”
From routine maintenance to major rehabilitation projects, the Louisville District’s Dam Safety team is committed to strengthening infrastructure for future generations.