CONTENTS TABLE OF President’s Statement To Our Members Board of SupportStateMembershipMeasuringDirectorsOurProgressVotingRepresentativesforStateDamSafety Programs The Value of Volunteerism Committee Members Training & Conferences Media NewStudentOutreachOutreachResourcesfor Professionals Legislative Advocacy 2019 Awards & Recognitions Thank You to Patrons ASDSO Staff 433935251595327172737414551 52
The role that ASDSO plays in training regulators and dam owners about the causes of dam failures is extremely vital. This past year saw the failure of the 100-year old Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam, which resulted in approximately 10,000 Michigan residents being evacuated and caused millions in property and infrastructure damage. Fortunately, there was no loss of life. This year, ASDSO also published its report on the investigation of the 2019 Spencer Dam failure in Nebraska. The forensic investigation was the frst of its kind for ASDSO. Training was in the spotlight this year as well. In September 2019, the annual conference in Orlando, FL was attended by hundreds of people who came to network and learn more about dam design, inspection, risk, regulation, and dam failures. Although we did not know it at the time, things were about to change. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to alter how it does business by reducing personal contact to minimize the spread of the disease. ASDSO successfully converted its inperson training courses into online versions, allowing attendees to participate remotely from the comfort of their homes. Even while many of us were adjusting to work from home due to policies and social distance guidelines, we continued to see a commitment from our members to ASDSO’s vision. I am thankful for your passion and support.
As president of the association, I watched many of our ambitious ideas become a reality and supported numerous on-going projects. The work highlighted in this report would not be possible without the support of our association’s executive director and staff, committees, task groups, interest groups, and our overall membership.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, it is my honor to present to you the 2020 Annual Report for ASDSO. This report documents the work accomplished over the Fiscal Year 2020, from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020.
2 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
PRESIDENT’S STATEMENT
Hal Van Aller, P.E., President
3ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS MEMBERS TO OUR
ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM
I’m proud to submit to you this Fiscal Year 2020 annual report. Please take some time to review the projects completed to meet our strategic objectives from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. I think we would all agree that the past year has been atypical. But, not just for the effects we all felt, in so many painful ways, from the COVID-19 pandemic, but because our organization experienced so many frsts. The frst dam failure investigation performed solely by ASDSO was completed. Read more about the Spencer Dam (Nebraska) Failure Investigation in the pages of this annual report. We celebrated our 100th monthly webinar in May. The Student Outreach Committee sponsored the frst Model Dam Competition with the winning team representing Utah State University. The Dam Owner Outreach Committee created the frst video in a series of educational videos for dam owners. Two new informational databases were added to the ASDSO Resource Center. The research database portal and the dam failure database portal were launched this past year. We experienced one of the biggest media blitzes on dam safety that I’ve seen in my professional career when the AP released a national story and dozens of state-specifc stories on dam safety in the US after a two-year effort was completed to gather data and interview dam safety experts across the country. As an organization, we capitalized on this by echoing the need for additional resources and awareness in our communications. We saw positive reaction on Capitol Hill as U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called on Congress to, "immediately begin addressing aging dam infrastructure in New York and across the country." She urged the leadership to fully fund the Rehabilitation of High-Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program and to consider this an urgent public safety issue. And of course, we look back on the frst (and hopefully only) time we had to cancel all 2020 live Noneevents.ofthese achievements would be possible without the strong leadership and dedication of the Board of Directors, our committee leaders, and staff. I want to acknowledge and thank Ross Brown and Jennifer Burns. They both had the ability to rationally react and regroup when adversity hit this year; transforming our live conferences and classroom courses into viable online content. I’m looking forward to 2021 and I know you are, too. We will see each other in-real-life soon.
Lori C. Spragens, Executive Director SAFETY OFFICIALS
David Griffn, P.E. Georgia Sharon Tapia, P.E. California Everett Taylor, P.E Utah Chair Gregory S. Paxson, P.E., Schnabel Engineering Vice-Chair Craig Findlay, P.E., Findlay Engineering Jon Garton Jon Atkins (served out Dusty Myers’ term) Committee Outgoing
President Hal Van Aller, P.E., Maryland
DIRECTORS & OFFICERS
4 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
John
Mia SharonEverettKannikTaylorTapia Moyle Matt Gantt Incoming
RegionalOfficers Representatives Advisory
BOARD OF TRANSITIONSDIRECTORS
President-Elect Bill McCormick, P.E., P.G., Colorado Treasurer Charles Thompson, P.E., New Mexico Secretary David Griffn, P.E., Georgia
Immediate Past President Roger Adams, P.E., Pennsylvania Alon Dominitz, P.E. New York Matthew Gantt, P.E. North Carolina Karen Goff, P.E. North Dakota Nathan Graves, P.E. Wyoming Mia Kannik, P.E. Ohio John H. Moyle, P.E. New Jersey Kenneth E. Smith, P.E. Indiana Edward Knight, P.E. Louisiana
Representatives
5
Seated (Left to Right): Lori Spragens, David Griffn, Hal Van Aller, Bill McCormick, Charles Thompson Top Row (Left to Right): Ed Knight, Alon Dominitz, Mia Kannik, Karen Goff, Roger Adams, Nathan Graves, John Moyle, Ken Smith, Greg Paxson
ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
STATUSPLANACTIONMISSIONVISION
PROGRESS MEASURING
85% of Fiscal Year 2020 Projects were completed or on track to be completed. Improve the condition and safety of dams through education, support for state dam safety programs, and fostering a unified dam safety community. A future where all dams are safe. OUR
Support state dam safety programs. Promote innovative approaches to funding dam rehabilitation at the state and federal level. Advocate for laws, policies and government programs that serve to improve the safety of dams and reduce the risk to the public. Increase public awareness of the role of dams in society, the risks they present and the importance of dam safety and preparedness. Strengthen and support a coordinated effort to improve the safety of levees. Develop a cohesive and engaged community committed to the ASDSO mission. 36 PROJECTS22 PROJECTS 8 PROJECTS9PROJECTS 16 PROJECTS10PROJECTS Advance and expand the technical expertise of dam and levee safety practitioners. 50 PROJECTS WHAT DOES ASDSO DO TO IMPROVE DAM SAFETY?
MEMBERSHIP
How ASDSO Supports its Members
ASDSO works side-by-side with its members to build a unifed community of dam and levee safety experts, recognized as leaders in their feld, through the creation of industry standards and best practices; advocacy of legislative policy matters that impact the dam and levee safety community; educational opportunities to help members build upon their knowledge of core foundational topic areas, as well as the latest technology and practical trends impacting the profession; education of the general public on issues of concern for dam and levee safety professionals; and support for future growth in the profession through outreach to students in grades K-12, as well as at collegiate institutions, to showcase the benefts of a career in dam and levee safety.
2,805 TOTAL MEMBERS 2,789 FOLLOWERS 862 NEW FOLLOWERS 300 SHARES LinkedIn 1,593 FOLLOWERS 186 NEW FOLLOWERS 150 RETWEETS Twitter 1,370 SUBSCRIBERS 450 NEW SUBSCRIBERS 53,380 VIEWS YouTube ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
� Professional development opportunities � Networking opportunities � Training discounts � Access to ASDSO Collaborate where you can share your knowledge with nearly 3,000 dam and levee safety professionals around the world � Access to the Dam Safety Resource Database with over 12,000 entries and over 6,000 downloadable documents (only members have access to downloadable features) � Subscription to the monthly E-News 10 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
� Subscription to the quarterly Journal of Dam Safety � Access to ASDSO's Members Only website section � Access to community outreach tools, including our popular Living with Dams series � A voice in policy-making and legislative activities � Career growth � Opportunity to participate in the Peer Review Program � Committee involvement � Information services 11ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
Larry W. Caldwell, P.E., Watershed Specialist, Oklahoma Conservation Commission Durgin (Left) and Roger Adams at Dam Safety 2019 Awards Luncheon
Stephen
Stephen G. Durgin, P.E., United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (Retired)
HONORARY MEMBERS Class
The Board of Directors honors individuals who have contributed to the improvement of ASDSO and the advancement of dam safety over a lifetime of work. of 2019
Ann Kuzyk, P.E., CT Department of Environmental Protection (Retired)
13ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS ARAECOMNatural Resources Commission • Barnard Construction Company, Inc. • Bauer Foundation Corp. Buck, Seifert & Jost, Inc. CA Department of Water Resources California DWR O&M CARPI USA Inc. • CDM Smith • GAFLOW-3DDepartment of Natural Resources Gannett Fleming, Inc. GEI Consultants, Inc. HDR • KS Department of Agriculture • LA Department of Transportation & Development MD Department of the Environment Michael Baker International • MS Department of Environmental Quality • MT Department of Natural Resources & Conservation NC Department of Environmental & Natural Resources NJ Department of Environmental Protection OH Department of Natural Resources PA Department of Environmental Protection • Ramboll • Schnabel Engineering Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Tetra Tech TN Department of Environment & Conservation Wood • Worthington Products Inc. SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIPMEMBERSCOMMUNICATION Journal of Dam Safety* Training & Education Newsletter Member E-News** • Four Issues Completed • 12 Technical Articles • 3,000+ Readership • All Members Receive a Digital and Print Copy • 9,800 Avg Recipients • 18% Open Rate • 11% Click Rate • 2,500 Subscribers • 33% Open Rate • 19% Click Rate The ‘ASDSO Quarterly Book Club,’ a review of books that would be of interest to our members, was introduced this year as part of the Journal of Dam Safety. The most popular story in Fiscal Year 2020 was the release of the Spencer Dam Investigation report. ***
ALABAMA J. Brian Atkins AL Department of Economic & Community Affairs
ALASKA Charles Cobb AK Department of Natural Resources ARIZONA Ravi Murthy AZ Department of Water Resources ARKANSAS Bill Ruck AR Natural Resources Commission
* COLORADO Jason Ward CO Division of Water Resources
14 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
STATE REPRESENTATIVESVOTING
CALIFORNIA Sharon Tapia CA Department of Water Resources
CONNECTICUT Ivonne Hall CT Department of Environmental Protection DELAWARE Janice Shute DE Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control FLORIDA Tracy Woods FL Department of Environmental Protection GEORGIA D. Thomas Woosley GA Department of Natural Resources HAWAII Edwin Matsuda HI Department of Land & Natural Resources IDAHO John Falk ID Department of Water Resources ILLINOIS Paul Mauer IL Department of Natural Resources INDIANA Kenneth Smith IN Department of Natural Resources * IOWA Jonathan Garton IA Department of Natural Resources KANSAS Terry Medley KS Department of Agriculture KENTUCKY Glen Alexander KY Division of Water * LOUISIANA Johnathon Atkins LA Department of Transportation & Development * MAINE John Skelley ME Emergency Management Agency MARYLAND Harald Van Aller MD Department of the Environment
MASSACHUSETTS William Salomaa MA Department of Conservation & Recreation MICHIGAN Mario Fusco MI Department of Environmental Quality MINNESOTA Jason Boyle MN Department of Natural Resources MISSISSIPPI William McKercher Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality MISSOURI Ryan Stack MO Department of Natural Resources MONTANA Michele Lemieux MT Department of Natural Resources & Conservation NEBRASKA Tim Gokie NE Department of Natural Resources NEVADA Christopher Thorson NV Division of Water Resources NEW HAMPSHIRE James Gallagher NH Department of Environmental Services NEW JERSEY John Moyle NJ Department of Environmental Protection
VERMONT
15ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS THANK YOU! TO OUR OUTGOING REPRESENTATIVES COLORADO Kallie Bauer CO Division of Water Resources IOWA Lori McDaniel IA Department of Natural Resources LOUISIANA Edward Knight LA Department of Transportation & Development MAINE Tony Fletcher ME Emergency Management Agency OHIO Rodney Tornes OH Department of Natural Resources PENNSYLVANIA Roger Adams PA Department of Environmental Protection SOUTH DAKOTA Jeanne Goodman SD Department of Environment & Natural Resources * Incoming Representatives For FY20 NEW MEXICO Charles Thompson NM Offce of the State Engineer NEW YORK Alon Dominitz NY Department of Environmental Conservation NORTH CAROLINA William Vinson NC Department of Environmental & Natural Resources NORTH DAKOTA Karen Goff ND State Water Commission * OHIO Mia Kannik OH Department of Natural Resources OKLAHOMA Yohanes Sugeng OK Water Resources Board OREGON Keith Mills OR Water Resources Department * PENNSYLVANIA Richard Reisinger PA Department of Environmental Protection PUERTO RICO Jose Bermudez Diaz PR Electric Power Authority RHODE ISLAND Paul Guglielmino RI Department of Environmental Management SOUTH CAROLINA Jill Stewart SC Department of Health & Environmental Control * SOUTH DAKOTA Whitney Kilts SD Department of Environment & Natural Resources TENNESSEE Terrell Hendren TN Department of Environment & Conservation TEXAS Warren Samuelson TX Commission on Environmental Quality UTAH David Marble Utah Division of Water Rights
Benjamin Green VT Department of Environmental Conservation VIRGINIA Wendy Howard-Cooper VA Department of Conservation & Recreation WASHINGTON Joe Witczak WA State Department of Ecology WEST VIRGINIA Delbert Shriver WV Department of Environmental Protection WISCONSIN Tanya Lourigan WI Department of Natural Resources WYOMING Nathan Graves WY State Engineer's Offce
ASDSO
provides networking support to the states through: SUPPORT FOR STATE DAM SAFETY PROGRAMS COMPLIMENTARYSTATECOLLABORATIVEMONTHLYSTATESURVEYSMENTORINGNEWSLETTERSWEBINARSLEGISLATIVEADVOCACYWEBINARPROGRAM * TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND EXPERIENCES SHARED BETWEEN STATE REPRESENTATIVES with National Dam Safety Program Support*
16 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT A lot of work is done behind the scenes to assist state dam safety programs.
ASDSO RELEASES "SUMMARY OF STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS ON DAM SAFETY" The 2020 “Summary of State Laws and Regulations on Dam Safety” is an accessible, plain-language reference resource intended for dam owners, dam safety professionals and the general public. It contains summaries of each state’s key dam safety rules on topics such as hazard classifcation systems, permitting and inspection processes, emergency action plan requirements, emergency response procedures and enforcement powers. Each chapter is extensively cited in order to ensure readers can easily reference the original laws or agency regulations for those various dam safety topics. The publication is organized in a way that makes it easy to fnd specifc subjects and compare the laws across states. This document is available on the ASDSO Resources page of our website.
NEWS UPDATE:
17ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
From posting practical tools and guidance online, to supporting states when policymakers cut budgets and lessen safety standards, to advocating for federal assistance funding, ASDSO volunteers and staff keep strong dam safety programs on the front burner.
18 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
ASDSO continued to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA on performance data collection for state dam safety programs. ASDSO compiled and analyzed the 2019 performance data by state and nationally and used the information in legislative visits and media contacts, and in identifying trends and improvements in state benchmarks. Here is a snapshot of data trends based on state program input.
MONITORING PERFORMANCE
19ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS National Inspection Percentage of State-Regulated High Hazard Potential Dams PERFORMANCE CHARTS 120% 2004 20192018201720162015201420132012201120102008200720062005100%80%60%40%20%0%90%68%45%23%0% 1999 2005 2010 2015 2019 EAP Completion Percentage for State-Regulated High Hazard Potential Dams
20 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT PERFORMANCE CHARTS Dam Safety Total State Budget $17.5M$35M$52M$70M 1999 2005 2010 2015 2019 2015 2019 11,0008,2505,5002,7500 1999 2005 2010 State-Regulated High Hazard Potential Dams with an EAP
21ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS PERFORMANCE CHARTS Total Staff (FTE) 1999317 2005372 2010431 2015395 2019450 National Average Dam Safety Budget per Regulated Dam 400800600200 1999 2005 2010 2015 2019
PERFORMANCE CHARTS 22 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT State Authorities & Compliance with the Model State Dam Safety Program State Authorities State Compliance 1989 1998 2010 2020 Legislation (5) 64% 73% 85% 86% Inspection (4) 54% 68% 74% 79% Enforcement (4) 66% 79% 90% 93% EAP & Response (4) 51% 62% 72% 79% Permitting (3) 58% 67% 75% 77% Education & Training (3) 59% 72% 76% Public Relations (1) 13% 30% 32% Weighted Percentage 59% 66% 77% 80%
ASDSO continues to facilitate participation by state dam safety leaders. State dam safety programs are represented on the FEMA National Dam Safety Review Board; the DHS, Dams Sector Coordinating Council; and the US Levee Safety Coalition. DHS Dams Sector Coordinating Council John Moyle (New Jersey) [ John Kale – Alternate]; Jim Gallagher (New Hampshire); Roger Adams (Pennsylvania) [ Duke Adams – Alternate]; Toby Vinson (North Carolina); Sharon Tapia (California); Jon Garton (Iowa); Lori Spragens (ASDSO) [ Mark Ogden – Alternate] US Levee Safety Coalition John Moyle (New Jersey) *Andrew Orlovsky (Pennsylvania); Lori Spragens (ASDSO) [ Mark Ogden – Alternate] National Dam Safety Review Board Michele Lemieux (Montana); Ariya Balakrishnan (California); James Gallagher (New Hampshire); Yohanes Sugeng (Oklahoma); Wendy Howard-Cooper (Virginia); *Peter Goodman (Kentucky); *Sharon Tapia (California); *Darin Shaffer (New Jersey); *Meg Galloway (Wisconsin); Dave Marble (Utah) COORDINATION & COMMUNICATION WITH NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCILS AND BOARDS *Stepped down in FY20 23ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
About 80 volunteers served on 19 standing committees this year, with many more taking part in interest groups, task groups and projects. A big thank you to all board, committee, task group and interest group volunteers; and, to those serving on the national advisory boards. A special thanks goes to John Moyle for serving as the dam safety liaison on the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card Committee and to Mark Ogden for his continued assistance with this partnership in 2019-20.
24 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
ANY MEMBER CAN CONTRIBUTE AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
As part of the ASDSO Speakers Bureau, Ken Smith and Alysson Oliger spoke to 2nd to 5th grade students.
Casey Welty, a dam safety engineer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, visited his son's preschool class to introduce engineering and dam safety.
» The model state dam safety program is the ASDSO/ FEMA national guidance for dam safety programs. The task force for the fourth update has been meeting since April 2019. A new outline has been developed, consistent with what is important for dam safety programs now. The new model program will have more emphasis on existing dams, with new sections on risk evaluation, public communication and information, and incident response.
The mission of the TKB Task Force is to assist in identifying the scope, challenges, and level of effort needed to develop a TKB for dam safety offcials. This knowledge base would be a single source to provide the basics about dam features and technical aspects for state dam safety offcials.
Technical Knowledge Base (TKB) Task Group
Model State Dam Safety Program Task Group
25ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS NEW TASKS GROUPS
» As part of the ASDSO Public Safety at Dams Committee, Ken Wright of Wright Water Engineers worked with representatives from the Denver, Colorado Fire Department to pass his knowledge of low-head dam dangers and proper rescue procedure to fre responders.
*† Greg Paxson – Schnabel – PA **† Craig Findlay – Findlay Engr. – ME Scott Arends – Hanson Professional Services – IL Terry JasonJohnJackDonBobBillRandyArnold – AECOM – COBass – Schnabel – GABingham – PABowers – Ramboll – PABruce – Geosystems – PAByers – ByersGroup – COCima – Schnabel – VAClere – BrookfeldRenewable Power Bob Dalton – Vasconcelles Engr. Corp. – IL Eric Ditchey – McCormick Taylor – NJ Dave Eichelberger – Christopher B. Burke KeithEngr. – INFerguson – HDR Engr. – CO John France – JWF Consulting – CO Steve Fry – Steve Fry Consulting – WA Jon Keeling – Stantec – KY Joe MartyKula – ARCADIS – MDMcCann – Natl.Performance of Dams Prog. – CA Art PhilipMiller – AECOM – PAMoreschi – Fuss& O’Neill – RI Tony Nokovich – Pennsylvania American JeffWater – PAPowers – Hazen & Sawyer – GA John Rutledge – Freese & Nichols – TX Paul Schweiger – Gannett Fleming – PA Steve Snider – Ramboll – NY Jason Thom – DOWL – MT Ed Tomlinson – Atmospheric Science JimSteveConsultants – COVerigin – GEI – CAWeldon – JimWeldon
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
†
ANNUAL AWARDS COMMITTEE
& Assoc. – CO Jennifer Williams – AECOM – CO
* Jon Garton – IA DNR Jason Campbell – Vistra Energy – IL Bob Dalton – Vasconcelles Engr. Corp – IL Dennis Dickey – Gannett Fleming – PA Bob Finucane – VT † Ed Knight – LA DOTD Tony Nokovich – American Water – PA Allen Orsi – Pare Engineering Corp. – MA Jim Pawloski – James T. Pawloski, PE, LLC – MI
26 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ADCOM)
* John Ritchey - French & Parrello - NJ Kallie Bauer - CO DWR - CO Eric Ditchey - McCormick Taylor - NJ † Alon Dominitz - NY DEC John France - JWF Consulting - CO Nathaniel Gee - USBR - NV Matt Lindon - Loughlin Water Assoc. - UT Lee Mauney - Bureau of Indian Affairs - CO Greg Paxson - Schnabel - PA Hal Van Aller - MD DEP COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION OUTREACH (CEO) * Ben ClintNickRachelWebster – Stantec – KYAdams – Stantec – KYAgnoli – FERC – NYBrown – Engr.Analytics – CO Karen Goff – ND State Water Commission Garrett Jackson – GJ Engineering – CO Jon MartyMattMarkKeeling – Stantec – KYKillgore – VADCRMarchisello – AquaPennsylvania – PAMcCann – Natl.PerformanceofDamsProg. – CA
ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM COMMITTEE
Dusty Myers – Eagle Creek Renewable Energy – NC Babak Naghavi – Hardesty & Hanover – LA David Nance – IN DNR Greg JenniferEngineerCharlesJasonGavinThomasJefferyPaxson – Schnabel – PAPowers – HazenandSawyer – GARoberts – VADCRTasker – BarnardConstructionCompany – MTThom – DOWL – MTThompson – NMOffceoftheStateWilliams – AECOM – CO † Nathan Graves – WY DAM FAILURES & INCIDENTS COMMITTEE (DFIC) * Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO * Dusty Myers – Eagle Creek Renewable IrfanEnergy – NCAlvi – Alvi Assoc. – MD Jacob Davis – USACE – DC Steve Durgin – USDA – NRCS (retired) – DC Jon Garton – IA DNR Nathaniel Gee – USBR – NV Wayne King – FERC – GA Lee Mauney – BIA – CO Jim Pawloski – James T. Pawloski, PE, LLC – MI Greg Richards – Gannett Fleming – UT Paul Risher – HDR – CA Tom Roberts – H2R Engineering Inc. – VA † Everett Taylor – UT DWR Lee Wooten – GEI – MA
DAM DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE * Jeremy
27ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS Vice-ChairChair Board Sponsor Team Leader Bill McCormick – CO DWR Art KenJohnDeboraMiller – AECOM – PAMiller – MillerGeotechnical – COMoyle – NJDEPSmith – INDNR COUNCIL FOR SAFE DAMS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (CSD)
Services – PA
†
Fleming – PA
* Eric Ditchey – McCormick Taylor – NJ Chris Adams – GZA – NJ Roger Adams – PA DEP David Burd – Merrill Creek Reservoir – NJ Leo Coakley – Hatch Mott MacDonald – NJ Michael Conway – First Capital Engr. – PA Dennis Dickey – Gannett Fleming – PA Tony Fernandes – ALF Consulting LLC – PA Tom ChrisFitzgerald – Schnabel – NCHager – LanganEngr.&Env. John RodneyHarrison – Schnabel – PAHolderbaum – Gannett Richard Horvath – PA JohnKeithJohnKula – ARCADIS – MDMoyle – NJDEPPytlik – NJRitchey – French&Parrello – NJ Franz – CO MicheleJoeFrankNathanBenjaminGaryLeslieMonroe – Schnabel – GABoyd – Freese&Nichols – TXDale – NYDECDoerge – M&EConsultants – TXGraves – WYStateEngineer’sOfc.Immel – GlobalDiving&Salvage – WAKula – ARCADIS – MDLemieux – MTDNRC
Joe
DWR * Joe
28 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT (CONTINUED) DFIC TECHNICAL ADVISORS Bill ScottAllerton – VAArends – Hanson Professional Services – IL Clint Brown – Engineering Analytics – CO Larry Caldwell – OK Conservation Commission Bob DougClay – MOEvans – OH DNR Keith MatthewLucasPeterPaulNeilRenewableRyanPatJonDanJohnGeorgePower – MEChrisWayneNathanielFerguson – HDR – COGee – USBR – NVGraham – COKaram – BrookfeldRenewableKelley – Freese&Nichols – GALessley – S&ME – SCMahoney – DJM – MDPittman – Schnabel – NCRegan – ORSchoolmeesters – EagleCreekEnergy – WISchwanz – USACE – MNSimon – USACE – MOSpangenberg – CTTrumble – MIDEQYoung – BureauofIndianAffairs – CO DFIC SUBCOMMITTEEDAMFAILURES.ORG ‡ Greg Richards – Gannett Fleming – UT Irfan Alvi – Alvi Assoc. – MD Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO John Batka – CO Division of Water Resources Lester Brown – Engineering Analytics – CO Keith BillDougMikeNathanielFerguson – HDR – COGee – USBR – NVHand – WYJohnson – FERC – ORJohnstone – SpatialVision Group – North Vancouver, CA-BC Wayne King – FERC – GA Andy Lynch – Gannett Fleming – CO Lee JohnMeghanTravisEverettDavidRenewableRyanPaulCoryMauney – BIA – COMiyamoto – GEIConsultants – CARisher – HDR – CASchoolmeesters – EagleCreekEnergy – WISykora – Exponent – MATaylor – UtahDWRTutka – USACE – ILWalter – USDA-NRCS – ORWolfhope – Freese&Nichols – TX DFIC DATABASE OF FAILURES & INCIDENTS SUBCOMMITTEE Scott Arends – Hanson Professional SteveServices – ILDurgin – USDA – NRCS (retired) – DC Doug Johnson – FERC – OR Alon DustyDominitz – NYMeyers – Eagle Creek Renewable Energy – NC DFIC DECADE DAM FAILURES TEAM ‡ Lee Mauney – BIA – CO John Atkins – LA DOTD Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO Nathaniel Gee – USBR – NV Wayne King – FERC – GA Dusty Myers – Eagle Creek Renewable TomJonEnergy – NCPittman – Schnabel – NCRoberts – H2REngineering Inc. – VA David EverettSykora – Exponent – MATaylor – UTDWR COMMITTEE MEMBERS
DFIC ENR RESEARCH GROUP ‡ Jonathan Pittman – Schnabel – NC John Atkins – LA DOTD Lee TomPaulMauney – BIA – CORisher – HDR – CARoberts – H2REngineering Inc. – VA DFIC – DAM UPDATEINVESTIGATIONFAILUREGUIDELINESUBCOMMITTEE
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND REDUCTIONCONSEQUENCEACTIVITIES
*† Charles Thompson – NM Offce of the State Engineer Visty Dalal – MD Dept. of the Environment James Demby – FEMA – VA Jon Garton – IA DNR John Kale – NJ DEP Suzanne Marinelli – USBR – ID Lori McDaniel – IA DNR Keith Mills – OR WRD Andy Peters – Pacifc Netting Products – WA John Roche – MD Dept. of the Environment Grant NicoleSorensen – USBR – COYoung – ColoradoParks and Wildlife FINANCE COMMITTEE
*† Bill McCormick – CO DWR
29ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
*† Charles Thompson – NM Offce State Engr. Roger Adams – PA DEP Eric Ditchey – McCormick Taylor – NJ Alon Dominitz – NY DEC John France – JWF Consulting – CO Jon Garton – IA DNR David Griffn – GA DNR Matt Lindon – Loughlin Water Assoc. – UT Bill McCormick – CO DWR Dusty Myers – Eagle Creek Renewable HalEnergy – NCVanAller – MD Dept Environment
‡ Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO Irfan Alvi – Alvi Assoc. – MD Jon Garton – IA DNR Lee TomMauney – BIA – CORoberts – H2REngineering Inc. – VA Lucas Trumble – MI DEQ DAM OWNER OUTREACH COMMITTEE *† John Moyle – NJ DEP Jason Campbell – Vistra Energy – IL Richard DeBold – RWD Engr. – ME Jon Garton – IA DNR Emily Keck – GZA – NJ Matt Lindon – Loughlin Water Assoc. – UT George Mills – GEM Consulting – OH Anthony Nokovich – American Water – NJ Raul Silva – MA DCR Boris Slogar – Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District – OH Ken Smith – IN DNR
*† Hal Van Aller – MD Dept Env Roger Adams – PA DEP (retired) Jon Garton – IA DNR Bill McCormick – CO DWR PEER REVIEW COMMITTEE
SAFETY PROGRAM UPDATE TASK
* John Cima – Schnabel – VA Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO Bill DennisBingham – PADickey – Gannett
* Paul Schweiger – Gannett Fleming – PA † Ken Smith – IN DNR Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO Tony Bennett – Ontario Power Gen. – ON, Canada David Bonin – Hatch Associates Consultants – MB, Canada Steven Davidheiser – Gannett Fleming – PA James Demby – FEMA – VA Steve Durgin – USDA – NRCS (retired) – DC John France – JWF Consulting – CO Stuart BenjaminHarris – TVA – TNIsrael-Devadason – Gannett Fleming – PA
*† Ken Smith – IN DNR Mark Baker – DamCrest Consulting – CO Kent Finemore – NH DES Aaron Fricke – Christopher B. Burke Engr – IN Ben Green – VT DEC Bill DWR Jill Stewart – SC DHEC MODEL STATE DAM FORCE
* Keith Mills – OR WRD James AnthonyDemby – FEMA – VAFernandes – ALF Consulting LLC – PA Benjamin Green – VT DEC Douglas Johnson – FERC – OR Dusty Myers – Eagle Creek Renewable KennethEnergy – NCSmith – IN DNR † Hal Van Aller – MD Dept Env NOMINATIONS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE
McCormick – CO
PUBLIC SAFETY AROUND DAMS COMMITTEE
Fleming – PA Anthony Fernandes – ALF Consulting LLC – PA † John Moyle – NJ DEP Ken Smith – IN DNR
30 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT (CONTINUED) MEDIA OUTREACH COMMITTEE
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Robert Kingery – Wright Water Engineers – CO Matt Lindon – Loughlin Water Assoc. – UT Thomas Mapletoft – Brookfeld Renewable PaulPower – MAMeeks – Worthington Products – OH John Moyle – NJ DEP Sharon Roach – Tacoma Power – WA Kenneth Wright – Wright Water Engrs. – CO RISK DECISION-MAKINGINFORMED TASK GROUP * John Hunyadi – CO DWR *† Bill McCormick – CO DWR Douglas Johnson – FERC – OR Keith Mills – OR WRD SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE *† John Moyle – NJ DEP Jeris Danielson – Danielson & Assoc. – CO George Mills – GEM Consulting – OH Travis Shoemaker – Schnabel – PA Raul Silva – MA DCR Michelle Yezierski – US DHS – VA
31ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
Crippen Berger – AZ Tim Cazier – CO DRMS David Chambers – Center for Science in Public
TAILINGS DAM REGULATORY COMMITTEE * Charlie Cobb – AK DNR Carmen Bernedo – Stantec – CO Brad Bijold – BGC Engineering – CO Jason Boyle – MN DNR Tawyn Bridgeford – National Mining JamesAssociation – DCCasey – Klohn
Regulator – AB, Canada Christopher Hatton – Haley & Aldrich – CO Michael Henderson – BGC Engineering – CO Tamara Johndrow – Freeport-McMoRan – AZ Dean StanleyPatriciaKorri – Cleveland-Cliffs – MNMcGrath – USEPA – WAMichalek – MineSafetyand Health LukeAdministration – PARussell – Hecla Mining Company – ID Jordan Scheremeta – Knight Piesold – CO Stefanie Self – US Offce of Surface Mining – PA Sarah Shoemaker – US Forest Service – AK Shawn Steiner – ConeTec – UT Chris Thorson – NV DWR Lucas Trumble – MI DEQ Bryan StevenUlrich – Stantec – COVamossy – USDOL – PA
TimCraigDanJamesParticipation – MTDemby – FEMA – VADeVaun – MIDEQDuffcy – USEPA – DCEaton – AlbertaEnergy
† Hal Van Aller – MD Dept. of Env. Peter Werner – US Forest Service – MT Christopher Winter – Hibbing Taconite Company – MN
TECHNICAL JOURNAL EDITORIAL COMMITTEE *† Craig Findlay – Findlay Engr. – ME * Mark Schultz – USACE – CA * Greg Paxson – Schnabel – PA Peter Baril – GZA GeoEnvironmental – CT Sushil Chaudhary – NM Offce State Engr Jessie Drayton – AECOM – CA Keith Ferguson – HDR – CO John France – JWF Consulting – CO Jim Gallagher – NH DES Michael Johnson – GENTERRA – CA Chris Karam – Brookfeld Renewable Power – ME Ian Maki – CA DWR Art BillNathanJohnAlanMiller – AECOM – PARauch – Stantec – KYRoche – MDDeptEnv.Snorteland – USACE – COSturtevant – ColoradoSprings Utilities Jim Weldon – Jim Weldon & Assoc – CO Meghann Wygonik Kinkley – USACE – PA TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE BASE TASK GROUP * Jeremy Franz – CO DWR Mark Baker – DamCrest Engineering – CO John Clark – City of Aurora – CO Alon Dominitz – NY DEC Jonathan Garton – IA DNR Michael Hand – WY Garrett Jackson – GJ Engineering LLC – CO Mark Killgore – VA DCR Michele Lemieux – MT DNRC Gregory Paxson – Schnabel – PA † Hal Van Aller – MD Dept Env
32 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT COMMITTEE MEMBERS (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL TRAINING COMMITTEE * Tom Woosley – GA DNR Roger Adams – PA DEP Alon Dominitz – NY DEC John France – JWF Consulting – CO Jim Gallagher – NH DES † David Griffn – GA DNR Noller PrestonYohanesPaulJefferyKateArtBrandonHerbert – USDA-NRCS – DCHorrocks – RB&GEngineering – UTMiller – AECOM – PANaughton – GannettFleming – PAPowers – HazenandSawyerSchweiger – GannettFleming – PASugeng – OKWRBWilson – FEMA – DC YOUNG PROFESSIONALS INTEREST GROUP (LEADERS) * Kate Naughton – Gannett Fleming – PA * John Atkins – LA DOTD ‡ Jeff Blass – AECOM – MD ‡ David Caouette – Pare Engineering Corp. – MA ‡ Dennis Chu – Ontario, CA ‡ Emily Keck – GZA – NJ ‡ Cory Miyamoto – GEI Consultants – CA ‡ Nicolette Schluter – AECOM – MD
DAM INVESTIGATION
SPENCERREPORT:
The report is publicly available DamSafety.org/SpencerDamReport.at
In April, the Spencer Dam Independent Investigation Panel released their fnal report on the failure of the Spencer Dam that occurred in northern Nebraska on March 14, 2019. The report focused on the physical causes of the failure, the human and organizational causes, and the lessons to be learned from the failure. ASDSO highly suggests reviewing the report and the lessons learned from this failure, especially if you oversee dam inspections in cold-weather regions. We would like to thank the members of the panel — Mark Baker, Robert Ettema, Martin Teal and John Trojanowski — and the Oversight Group — Roger Adams, Lori Spragens, Mark Ogden, Dusty Myers, Greg Paxson, and John France — for their hard work. We would also like to thank Tim Gokie of the Nebraska Dam Safety Program for his leadership in advocating for the Membersinvestigation.ofthe panel will be making a presentation on the investigation process and fndings at the 2021 International Committee on Large Dams (ICOLD) Convention in France.
ASDSO CELEBRATED ITS 100TH WEBINAR In May this year, ASDSO held its 100th webinar. To celebrate, all ASDSO members received a code to watch the oldest webinar in our Webinar Library, Guidelines for Assigning Erodibility Parameters to Soil Horizons for SITES Analyses by Danny McCook. The webinar was recorded on October 12, 2010. All past webinars are available through the ASDSO Webinar Library. Visit DamSafety.org/TrainingCenter
DAM SAFETY 2019 Orlando, Florida • September 8-12, 2019 • 2 General Sessions • 38 Concurrent Sessions • 117 Presentations • 21 Poster Presentations
34 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT TRAINING & CONFERENCES TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAM 2019 Dam Safety National Conference: 902 Registered Attendees 11 Live Webinars: Combined Total Attendance of 5352 5 Technical Seminars: 252 Professionals Trained 4 Dam Owner Workshops: 337 Owners Trained. Courses Held in Indiana, Vermont, New Jersey, Georgia.
Webinars: • The 1979 Machhu Dam Disaster: Social Origins and Social Consequences • Teton Dam – The Failure That Changed an Industry • Concrete Repair & Maintenance for Dams • Putting Public Safety First – The Oroville Dam Spillways Emergency Recovery • Rock Scour Assessment for Dams, Spillways and other Water Conveyance Structures • Filters and Drainage Systems for Embankment Dams • Overtopping Protection Systems - Part 2 • Introduction to Overtopping Protection Systems • WinDAM- Overtopping and Internal Erosion for Earthen Embankments • Review of 1938 Construction Slide at Fort Peck Dam • Lessons Learned Regarding Seismic Deformation Analyses of Embankment Dams from Re-Evaluation of the Upper and Lower San Fernando Dams Performance Case Histories
TECHNICAL SEMINARS GO VIRTUAL IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19
In March, as cases of COVID-19 increased across the country, many states put restrictions on social and professional gatherings. These measures immediately impacted our training program, but ASDSO did not miss a beat. We began to explore detailed options for in-person events and, while not all of our technical seminars could be converted to a virtual format, most of them could continue as scheduled. Virtual training cannot replace the interaction and networking that participants and instructors gain from face-to-face training. Still, it does allow great technical exchange in a fexible format without travel. Of course, we would not have been successful without our instructors who stepped up to meet these new challenges and our dedicated staff. ASDSO is planning much of the next year's training in a virtual format, but we look forward to resuming our face-to-face training as soon as we can do so safely.
Classroom Courses: Seepage Through Earth Dams Basic Soil Mechanics Related to Earth Dams Stability Analysis of Embankment Dams Fundamentals of Reinforced Concrete • Inspection & Assessment of Dams
THANK YOU to all the Subject Matter Experts who made these accomplishments possible! ASDSO was represented in more than 100 unique articles from July 2019 to June 2020. That is a 160% increase from last year! 100 Of those articles, 74 quoted ASDSO representatives with the rest quoting ASDSO statistics and resources. 74 ASDSO subject matter experts and staff responded to more than 70 media inquiries. 70 YEAR IN REVIEW MEDIA OUTREACH 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
• More than 6,000 visits to our website in a week, with 77% being first-time visitors
37ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
• About 30 unique articles related to the report
• ASDSO subject matter experts quoted in 22 articles
• Many ASDSO state representatives were also heavily involved
Infrastructure:
The Edenville and Sanford Dam Failures
Reporters David Lieb (pictured), Michael Casey, and Michelle Minkoff set a high standard for effective reporting on dam safety.
• More than 50 state-focused follow-up articles published
In April 2020, the Spencer Dam Independent Investigation Panel released its fnal report on the failure of Spencer Dam that occurred in northern Nebraska on March 14, 2019. As part of the release, ASDSO held a question and answer session with the media and coordinated numerous interviews with Mark Baker, the team lead, and other ASDSO representatives.
• 26 media inquires
Associated Press & Aging
The failure of Edenville and Sanford Dams in Midland County, Michigan, dominated headlines in May 2020. Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer declared a state of emergency for the county, and almost 11,000 people were evacuated from the area. Immediately following the failures, ASDSO’s efforts were focused on supporting our impacted members and providing subject matter experts to the media. While not every article was perfect, we believe our media outreach efforts helped combat misinterpretations and kept a bad situation from worsening.
• 1,800 unique page videos on report landing page within two weeks of release The Spencer Dam Failure Investigation
During November 2019, a series of dam safetyrelated stories were distributed across the U.S. in various forms. A report published by the Associated Press focusing on dam safety and state dam safety regulatory oversight sparked the increased coverage. ASDSO volunteers and staff worked with Associated Press reporters onand-off for more than three years providing data and background on the state of dam safety in the United States.
• ASDSO representatives quoted or ASDSO information referenced in 33 articles
MAJOR MEDIA MOMENTS
• 2,500 visits to the website on the day following the failure
ASDSO’S
STUDENT OUTREACH
FIRST DAM MODEL COMPETITION Team from Utah State University
The competition, funded through the Bruce Tschantz fund and managed by the Committee on Education Outreach, sought to fnd the best dam model mixing technical design, unique features, and plans for public outreach. The inaugural competition was won by a team from Utah State University comprised of Kyler Olsen, Braiden Amata, Jack Tousley, Kathryn Margetts, and technical advisor Brian Crookston, Ph.D., P.E.
2019 STUDENT PAPER COMPETITION WINNERS Arced Labyrinth Weirs in Reservoirs Seth D. Thompson, Hydraulic and Hydrologic Designer, Gannett Fleming (Formerly a MS Student at Utah State University) Co-Author: Blake P. Tullis, Ph.D., Professor, Utah State University Regional Semi-Empirical Site Response Model for Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta Levees Tristan E. Buckreis, Ph.D. Student, University of California, Los Angeles Left to right: Seth Thompson, Tristan Buckreis and Committee on Education Outreach Chair Ben Webster Both papers are available through the Dam Safety Resource Database
RECIPIENT
2019-2020 UNDERGRADUATEMEMORIALSCHOLARSHIP
Dominique Emmett, Penn State Harrisburg
39ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
Dominique Emmett is a senior at Penn State Harrisburg working towards her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. She is a member of the college’s ASCE student chapter, where she serves as the club’s environmental chair. Previously, she worked as an intern for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as an engineering intern, responsible for conducting low hazard dam inspections throughout the commonwealth. At the time the scholarship was awarded, Dominique was completing an engineering internship at Gannett Fleming, Inc. working on dam design and hydraulic analysis.
NEW AND UPDATED RESOURCESONLINE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
With funding assistance from the National Dam Safety Program, ASDSO developed the Dam Safety R&D Database, a searchable repository of cutting-edge dam safety research projects. Cutting edge research advances the state of practice for national priorities and the areas of dam risk research and management. Typically, the projects are new or innovative and involve partnerships with universities, the National Science Foundation, or other research institutions. With this database, ASDSO aims to make a single central location for the dam safety community to fnd information on proposed, ongoing and completed research. DamSafety.com/RD/Search
DATABASE ASDSO continued to update and improve the Dam Safety Resource Database. It currently contains more than 12,000 references to works related to dam safety from the late 1800s to the present. These works cover a wide variety of dam safety topics including technical and non-technical areas, history, best practices, regulations, news and more.
DATABASE – DEVELOPED IN FY20
This year we saw more of our members join ASDSO Collaborate, the online community for dam safety professionals. Collaborate allows our members to start a conversation with colleagues from across the country, share ideas, discuss challenges, post questions and search ASDSO volunteer opportunities.
COLLABORATEDamSafety.org/Resource/Search
DAMDamFailures.orgSAFETYRESOURCE
DAM FAILURE DATABASE – NEW! ASDSO launched the Dam Safety Incident Database, a searchable, online collection of more than 1000 records of failure and non-failure incidents. Each record has basic information on the dam safety incident such as incident date, type, driver and mechanism. There is also information on downstream consequences such as evacuations, deaths, damages, etc. The majority of the incident records have been collected from state programs following the year in which they occurred. Some states have been able to provide historic incident information and ASDSO will continue to obtain as much information, both current and historic, as possible. The database is not considered comprehensive of all dam safety incidents, both historic and current, and refects only the data that ASDSO has been able to collect. Much of the identifying information on specifc dams is obtained from the National Inventory of Dams.
TRAININGCollaborate.DamSafety.orgCENTER In addition to the live broadcasts, ASDSO has more than 100 Downloadable and On-Demand webinars available. The robust webinar program provides dam and levee safety professionals with the opportunity to expand their professional knowledge through a wide range of training geared for all levels of experience. The Training Center also includes the ASDSO Program of Study, a road map developed by a committee of dam and levee safety professionals for educating those working in the dam safety engineering community. DamSafety.org/Training-Center R&D
ASDSO members have free, unlimited access to full ASDSO conference and journal papers.
ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
DAMDamSafety.com/IncidentsFAILURECASESTUDIES AND LESSONS LEARNED ASDSO’s Dam Failures Website includes links to individual case studies as well as lessons learned pages that summarize historical dam incidents and failures and the valuable information gleaned from them. Each page contains a background and description, photographs, videos, best practices, and other resources related to the case study or lessons learned being addressed. In Fiscal Year 2020, ten new dam failure case studies and lessons learned were added to the website. Thanks go to the National Dam Safety Program for funding support.
Advocacy for legislative and policy improvements to the HHPD Program:
State Legislative Spotlight
Our FY20 Focus: Support for frst year implementation of the High-Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) Rehabilitation Grant Program: ASDSO leaders worked with the FEMA National Dam Safety Program to develop implementation policies and procedures.
PUSHING NATIONAL AND STATE DAM SAFETY POLICIES AND FUNDING FORWARD LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY
The ASDSO Legislative Advocacy Interest Group provided input to Congressional leaders toward introducing bills that would improve the rehabilitation grant program.
Two states simultaneously took up the issue of public safety at low head dams in FY20. Indiana and Pennsylvania—both with strong legal advocates and a heart-breaking history of fatalities at low-head dams—saw bills introduced and moving through committee to mitigate safety issues. In Indiana, the bill included the establishment of a low-head dam inventory; prohibition with penalties for those who access a lowhead dam, including swimming or boating within 100 feet, except for inspections, maintenance or removal; and, a requirement for the state to prepare reports on removal and inspection programs. In Pennsylvania, a bill was passed that established criminal penalties for anyone who fails to properly mark a low-head dam with signs and buoys on both the upstream and downstream sides of the dam. Failure to maintain those signs and buoys also is subject to penalties.
42 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
Pushing for federal appropriations for the National Dam Safety Program the HHPD Rehabilitation Grant Program and the National Levee Safety Program: ASDSO and our partner, the ASCE Government Relations Program submitted letters to appropriations committees to push for full funding.
Thanks go to ASDSO’s legislative advocates and staff and the ASCE Government Relations staff.
ASDSO Advocates for Georgia Dam Safety
Federal Legislative Spotlight: ASDSO Establishes Position on the Need to Update Extreme Rainfall Standards
43ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
Concurrently, the ASDSO Board of Directors approved a policy position on the need for updated national extreme rainfall standards. National extreme rainfall (Probable Maximum Precipitation) standards have long been used for regulation and design of high-hazard potential infrastructure including dams and nuclear power facilities. Those standards are used to bring consistency between Federal Agencies, State Agencies, and the private sector professional design community. The new ASDSO position says that it is time to update these standards and that the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Weather Service (NWS) should take a leadership role. It is also ASDSO's recommendation that a National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) study be commissioned to study current state of the practice. With this position statement in hand, the ASDSO Legislative Advocacy leaders will be coordinating with other interested organizations to ask Congress to take this issue up.
ASDSO worked with partners at ASCE, ASFPM, TNC, Chattahoochee River Keepers and others to oppose a Senate Bill on dam safety in the Georgia General Assembly. The bill sought to address Hazard Creep for Category II dams in Georgia by implementing a remedy to harden potential downstream structures so upgrade or removal of the Category II dam would not be required. ASDSO and our partners argued that the bill would likely decrease public safety and have the unintended consequence of attracting more people into areas downstream of defcient and unregulated dams. ASDSO sent an alert to Georgia members asking them to contact their state legislators opposing the bill. ASDSO also sent letters to members of the Georgia House of Representatives, Natural Resources and Environment Committee educating them on dam safety and concerns with the bill. The bill passed the Georgia Senate but did not move forward in the House of Representatives. As part of a developing objective to push for stronger federal leadership in modernizing precipitation and food data, ASDSO submitted testimony for a Congressional hearing addressing food maps and climate change. The hearing was held by two subcommittees under the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Other experts gave oral testimony and included representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA), and the Association of State Floodplain Managers As(ASFPM).stated in the testimony, ASDSO asked that the members, “review the history of the federal government’s role in estimating and providing extreme rainfall data and endorse a renewal of this role to ensure a consistent national approach to public safety as we face a changing climate.”
NATIONAL REHABILITATION PROJECT OF THE YEAR BUCKEYE LAKE DAM IMPROVEMENTS • Ohio Department of Natural Resources (Owner) • Gannett Fleming, Inc. (Engineer) • Michael Baker International (Subconsultant) • ASI Construction, LLC (Contractor) Representatives from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Gannett Fleming, Michael Baker International and ASI Construction NATIONAL AWARD OF MERIT Wayne Graham, Bureau of Reclamation (Retired) 2019 DAM SAFETY AWARDS RECOGNITIONS&
City of Fall River Community Utilities Water Division, Fall River, Massachusetts Terry Sullivan, Administrator of Community Utilities in Fall River (second from left), with the ASDSO Northeast Regional Representatives
Southeast Regional Award of Merit Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Dam Safety and Floodplain Management Representatives from the Virginia Division of Dam Safety and Floodplain Management with the ASDSO Southeast Regional Representatives
George W. Crosby, P.G., Manager, Dam Safety (Retired), Indiana Department of Natural Resources
James T. Pawloski, P.E., Owner, James T. Pawloski, PE, LLC (Formally with Michigan Department of Environmental Quality William Sturtevant, P.E., Dam Safety Engineer, Colorado Springs Utilities (Former Wisconsin State Dam Safety Engineer)
RECENT MIDWEST STATE DAM SAFETY RETIREES
Robert A. Clay, P.E., Dam Safety Engineer (Retired), Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Dam Safety Program
Northeast Regional Award of Merit
Midwest Regional Award of Merit
Robert Clay and James Pawloski (second and third from left) with the ASDSO Midwest Regional Representatives West Regional Award of Merit Brooke B. Conner, P.E., Senior Engineer, FEMA Region VIII Robert Clay and James Pawloski (second and third from left) with the ASDSO Midwest Regional Representatives
45ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
REGIONAL AWARDS OF MERIT
(CONTINUED) 2019 DAM SAFETY AWARDS RECOGNITIONS&
46 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT TERRY L. HAMPTON MEDAL BRUCE TSCHANTZ PUBLIC SAFETY AT DAMS AWARD
Kenneth R. Wright, P.E., Principal Engineer, Wright Water Engineers, Inc.
Ken Wright (left) and Public Safety at Dams Committee Chair Paul Schweiger
Sherry L. Hunt, PhD., Supervisory Civil Engineer, United States Department of Agriculture Sherry Hunt and Advisory Chair Greg Paxson
Mustafa Altinakar, Ph.D., Research Professor, National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE), The University of Mississippi
Mustafa Altinakar and Advisory Chair Greg Paxson
Benjamin Israel-Devadason, Young Professional Interest Group Co-Chair Kate Naughton (center) and Kristen Martin (right)
JOSEPH ELLAM PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Ryan Knarr (left) and Outgoing President Roger Adam
Kristen Martin, P.E., Senior Engineer, Division of Safety of Dams, California Department of Water Resources
Ryan Knarr, P.E., PA Department of Environmental Protection
Benjamin Israel-Devadason, P.E., CFM., Senior Hydraulic and Hydrologic Engineer, Gannett Fleming, Inc.
MEDIA OUTREACH AWARD Samuel Joseph Fretwell III, Staff Writer, The State, Columbia, South Carolina
47ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
($1,000 or more)
Paul Mauer, IL Department of Natural Resources, Morton, IL Ruth Wright, Boulder, CO Alton Davis, Alton P. Davis Jr. Engineering Consulting, West Ossipee, NH Greg Hammer, US Army Corps of Engineers, Greeley, CO Harald Van Aller, MD Department of the Environment, Baltimore, MD John France, JWF Consulting LLC, Centennial, CO Robert Snow, D'Appolonia Engineering, Pittsburgh, PA William Bingham, Camp Hill, PA
Larry Caldwell, NRCS - Retired, Stillwater, OK
50 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT
William Myers, Vicksburg, MS
Bill McCormick, CO Division of Water Resources, Denver, ChristopherCO Adams, GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., Norwood, MA David Marble, Utah Division of Water Rights, Salt Lake City, UT
Anthony Fernandes, ALF Consulting LLC, Malvern, PA Gregory Paxson, Schnabel Engineering, Littleton, CO Robert Dalton, Veenstra & Kimm, Inc., Springfeld, IL
Mark Ohlstrom, HDR, Tukwila, WA
John Ritchey, French & Parrello Associates, P.A., Manchester, NJ
Lake Grove Fire District #57, Lake Oswego, OR J. Lawrence Von Thun, Lakewood, CO Mark Ogden, Association of State Dam Safety Offcials, Columbus, OH GENTERRA Consultants, Inc. , Irvine, CA David Hinchliff, Port Townsend, WA Dennis Dickey, Gannett Fleming, Inc., Boiling Springs, PA Gregory Glunz, AECOM, Denver, CO Gregory Johnson, Bergmann, Rochester, NY James Pawloski, James T. Pawloski, P.E. LLC , Gaylord, MI Nathan Graves, WY State Engineer's Offce, Cheyenne, WY Zahir "Bo" Bolourchi, Baton Rouge, LA
James Swaisgood, Swaisgood Consulting, Evergreen, CO John Clark, City of Aurora, Aurora, CO
Lawrence Hansen, Tempe, AZ
SUPPORTER ($100-$299)
Charles Gillian, Alliance Consulting, Inc., Beaver, WV John Moyle, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Trenton, NJ Meg Galloway, Association of State Floodplain Managers, Madison, WI
Matthew Lindon, Loughlin Water Associates, Park City, UT
BENEFACTOR
I.M. Idriss, University of California, Davis, Santa Fe, NM
Melvin Schaefer, MGS Engineering Consultants, Inc., Olympia, WA Morris Root, Root Engineering, West Chazy, NY
PARTNER ($300-$999)
Robert Bowers, Ramboll, Warminster, PA
THANK YOU TO PATRONS
John Cima, Schnabel Engineering, Glen Allen, VA Penny Tschantz, Knoxville, TN Ralph Grismala, ICF, Hermitage, TN
Karen Ford, GEI Consultants, Inc., Lexington, KY
Curt Basnett, Jacobs Engineering Group, Tampa, FL
Ronald Corso, Retired, Vienna, VA Ryan Schoolmeesters, Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, Middleton, WI
FRIEND ($1-$99)
Additional thanks to the FEMA National Dam Safety Program for providing support for the webinar program and the DamFailures.Org website improvements and to the USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service for providing support for the classroom and webinar training programs.
Roger Adams, Duncannon, PA
Ruben Cardia, RJC Engineering Co., Bauru, SP
Timothy Schaal, Pierre, SD Warren Samuelson, TX Commission on Environmental Quality, Austin, TX
Sean Hoss, HDR, Upland, CA
51ASSOCIATION OF STATE DAM SAFETY OFFICIALS
Foster Pelton, East Amherst NY
Ken Curtis, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Cortez, CO
Bob Gaddis, Future Resources Engineering, LLC, Bartlesville, OK Chris Ritz, USDA - NRCS, Indianapolis, IN
Lewton Deichert, USDA - NRCS, Morgantown, WV
Christopher Lewis, Tetra Tech, Hidden Valley, PA Cruz David, Calahorra, LO Daniel Mensah, US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, MD David Hook, San Jose, CA
William Cummings, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washougal, WA
Laila Berre, US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, NE
Wayne Edwards, W.D. Edwards Consulting, LLC, Novato, CA
Rebecca Ragon, US Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, VA Russ Hicks, Returning the Rapids to Eaton Rapids, Eaton Rapids, MI
Dennis Hurtz, Decorah, IA
John Roche, MD Department of the Environment, Baltimore, MD
Kevin Aubry, Terracon Consultants Inc., West Palm Beach, FL
Myron Petrovsky, MBP Consulting, Portland, ME
James Veres, CA Department of Water Resources, Folsom, JonathanCAGarton, IA Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, IA
Edward LaBelle, Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc., Springfeld, IL Bauer Equipment America, Inc., Conroe, TX
Fiorella Aliaga, RIZZO International, New York, NY
Scarlett Kitts, Schnabel Engineering, West Chester, PA William Rochford, US Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago, IL
Stephen Durgin, Spokane Valley, WA
Janis Murphy, Freese & Nichols, Inc., Fort Worth, TX
Daniel Hill, Columbus, OH David Railsback, Schnabel Engineering, Clifton Park, NY
Jonathan Keeling, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Lexington, KY Keith Pytlik, Township Of Washington, NJ
jburns@damsafety.orgDirector859-550-2788X102
Katelyn Riley Communications kriley@damsafety.orgManager859-550-2788X104
Mark Ogden Technical Specialist and States Outreach mogden@damsafety.org859-550-2788X105
ASDSO Association of State 239 S. Limestone St. Lexington, KY 40508
DamSafety.orginfo@damsafety.org859-550-2788
Brittany Lewis Executive Offce Manager/Programs Support blewis@damsafety.org859-550-2788X101
Lori Spragens Executive Director
CONTACT
Dam Safety Offcials
Jennifer Burns Training
ASDSO STAFF
ASDSO STAFF
Ross Brown Conferences, Membership & Marketing Director rbrown@damsafety.org859-550-2788X103
859-550-2788lspragens@damsafety.orgX106
CONTACT ASDSO Association of State Dam Safety Offcials 239 S. Limestone St. Lexington, KY 40508 info@damsafety.org859-550-2788 DamSafety.org
