Water Resources Department Oregon Dam Safety Program

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Water Resources Department

Oregon Dam Safety Program

Dam Safety in Oregon Guide

Dam Safety in Oregon

Booklet [PDF 783 KB]

Dam Information

Dam Information - Inventory of dams in Oregon. This web page allows you to locate dam sites in Oregon and access information associated with them. The information you can find here includes the person or agency that owns the dam, the project name, location, and more.

Dam Design Plans and Specifications - Statuatory size dams require design approval prior to construction. See link for more information.

For information about hydroelectric projects
click here.

Dam Safety in Oregon

Dam safety and public water supply integrity in light of September 11, and links to informative sites of related content.

Dam Safety Inspection Form

Dam Safety Inspection Form
October 2005 (PDF 28 KB)

Emergency Action Plans

Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) are an important component of dam design for facilities in which the failure of a dam would likely cause considerable property damage or loss of life. For any dam that has homes or human infrastructure downstream, an inundation analysis should be done to determine the degree of flooding that would occur if the dam fails. If this analysis indicates significant flooding in homes, schools or any other human habitation, an EAP should be developed to properly plan actions in case a dam failure occurs. The need for an EAP is not based on the dam’s risk of failure but rather the consequences of failure (i.e. hazard).

As part of the water right application process, the Water Resources Department requires Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) for any new reservoir that poses a significant downstream threat to life. These reservoirs are categorized as “high hazard” based on the degree of inundation over populated areas that would occur if the dam suddenly failed. For older dams or for other facilities that do not require water rights, the Department strongly encourages having these plans for high hazard dams. In circumstances where there are severe threats to life and/or property if a dam fails, the need for an EAP becomes more acute. In this case, the Department may compel the creation of an EAP under its Dam Safety authority.

Dam safety staff at the Department review and approve EAPs as part of the application process and also review/approve EAPs for existing dams as a peer review to help ensure they work properly.

Please note there is a limited time seed grant [PDF 49KB] available for entities that are preparing or thinking about preparing EAPs.

Several aids in creating and maintaining EAPs are available here:

Invitation to Apply for EAP Assistance Grant [PDF 49KB]
Basic Steps in Creating an Emergency Action Plan [PDF 12KB]
Format of an Emergency Action Plan [PDF 21KB]
Example EAP - Natural Resource Conservation Service [PDF 4,503KB]
NRCS Website EAP policy with links to fillable form
OWRD Reviewers Checklist for EAPs [PDF 26KB]

Some links are also available to publications that may be useful in preparing an EAP:

Colorado Dam Safety Manual [PDF] This manual has criteria and symptoms of common dam problems and possible remedies. It is useful in creating decision criteria to determine event level and actions to take. It also has a good glossary and can be used as a primer for understanding dams and dam safety.

Hydrologic Engieering Center: Software and methods for creating inundation analysis and mapping. The running of this software requires expertise in hydraulic engineering and this task is often contracted out to firms specializing in hydraulic engineering.

Wisconsin Sample EAP [PDF] Another example EAP to aid in EAP creation.

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