FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMET AGENCY 
Mitigation Directorate Fact Sheet
NATIONAL DAM SAFETY PROGRAM
DAM SAFETY IN THE UNITED STATES
Spring/Summer 2008

As the lead Federal agency for the National Dam Safety Program, the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is responsible for 
coordinating efforts to secure the safety of dams throughout the 
United States. Congress’ passage of the National Dam Safety Program 
Act of 2006 reauthorized the program for 5 more years. The program 
makes Federal funds available to the States, which are primarily 
responsible for protecting the public from dam failures of non-
Federal dams, and pursuing initiatives that enhance the safety of 
dams posing the greatest risk to people and property.
CLASSIFICATION OF DAMS
Dams are classified as high, significant, or low hazard potential. 
Hazard potential does not reflect the condition of the dam, but 
identifies the potential consequences of dam failure.
? Failure of a high hazard dam, for any reason, could result in loss 
of life, significant property damage, service disruptions, and 
environmental damage.
? If a significant hazard dam should fail for any reason, extensive 
property damage, service disruptions, and environmental damage could 
occur beyond the owner’s property.
? Damages from a low hazard dam failure do not extend beyond the dam 
owner’s property.
FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR STATE PROGRAMS
FEMA provides financial assistance to States’ dam safety programs 
under the National Dam Safety Program Act of 2006. National 
performance criteria are used to determine a State’s eligibility. The 
funds are used for inspecting and monitoring dams, training dam 
operators, analyzing data, purchasing equipment, and assisting in the 
preparation of Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) to be followed in the 
event of a dam failure. The grants have totaled approximately $3.5 
million per year over the last 8t years.
Other program activities support stakeholders in the dam safety 
community, such as:
? Research on risk assessment techniques, design and construction 
standards, seepage and internal erosion, hydrologic and earthquake 
threats, inspection techniques, monitoring equipment, maintenance and 
rehabilitation, impacts of vegetation and animals on embankment dams, 
new technologies, and other issues.
? Training in dam safety for dam operators, owners, and regulators.
In addition, FEMA works with its Federal and private sector partners 
to develop technologies to help secure the safety of dams. Examples 
are:
? National Inventory of Dams (NID) – A database of about 79,500 dams 
in the United States maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 
The database is used for water resource management, land use 
planning, floodplain management, risk management, and emergency 
action planning.
? Dam Safety Program Management Tools – An interactive software 
program used for assessing the effectiveness of State dam safety 
programs.
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DAM SAFETY: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
The National Inventory of Dams currently lists about 79,500 dams in 
the United States. The Federal government owns about 5 percent of the 
dams; States 5 percent; local governments 20 percent; and private 
entities about 56 percent. Owners are responsible for the safety and 
maintenance of the dams.
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CREATING FEDERAL POLICY
As part of its leadership role, FEMA chairs the following two 
organizations, which serve to guide the National Dam Safety Program:
The National Dam Safety Review Board (Board) advises FEMA on national 
dam safety priorities, coordinates Federal-State activities, and 
assesses States’ progress in meeting performance criteria defined 
under the National Dam Safety Program Act of 2006. Board membership 
includes representatives from Federal and State agencies, and the 
private sector. The Board is chaired by FEMA and consists of five 
federal dam safety officials, five state dam safety officials, and 
one private sector dam safety official.
The Interagency Committee on Dam Safety (ICODS) coordinates Federal 
policies, guidelines, and activities related to dam safety. For 
example, the Committee developed Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety: 
Emergency Action Planning for Dam Owners (FEMA 64), available online 
at: http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=1672. The guide 
provides information on how to prepare an EAP and describes 
procedures for early warning that can minimize property damage and 
loss of life in the event of a dam failure.
The ICODS is chaired by FEMA and includes the following Federal 
agencies, which build, own, operate, or regulate dams: Department of 
Agriculture; Department of Defense; Department of Energy; Department 
of the Interior; Department of Labor; Mine Safety and Health 
Administration; Federal Energy Regulatory Commission; Department of 
State, International Boundary and Water Commission (U.S. Section); 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and Tennessee Valley Authority. 
PARTNERSHIPS KEY TO PROGRAM SUCCESS
In addition to the National Dam Safety Review Board and the 
Interagency Committee on Dam Safety, FEMA partners with professional 
organizations in the effort to secure the safety of dams.
The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) is a national 
non-profit organization of State and Federal dam safety regulators, 
dam owners and operators, engineering consultants, manufacturers and 
suppliers, academia, and contractors. The organization supports 
programs and policies designed to increase dam safety. For more 
information, go to: http://www.damsafety.org.
The United States Society on Dams (USSD) is a national professional 
organization that represents primarily private sector interests with 
representatives from the private sector and some governmental 
agencies. The USSD seeks to advance the technology of dam 
engineering, construction, operation, maintenance, and dam safety; to 
foster socially and environmentally responsible water resources 
projects; and to promote awareness of the role of dams in managing 
the Nation's water resources. USSD is located on the web at: 
http://www.ussdams.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
To obtain additional dam safety resources, visit the FEMA website, 
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/damfailure/ndsp