Author Description

This guide is intended to give British Columbia dam owners a basic understanding of their responsibilities with regard to the inspection, operation, maintenance, and reporting procedures for their dams. The first section provides basic definitions of terms. This is followed by an introduction to dam safety and dam owner responsibilities. Section 3 describes modes of dam failures of earthen and concrete dams, including internal erosion failures and structural failures. Sections 4 and 5 provide details on procedures for inspecting and maintaining dams and their associated structures. Section 6 presents guidelines on formulating an operation, maintenance, and surveillance plan. The final section is a self-help guide to identifying dam problems and possible solutions. Appendices include forms for aiding in preparation of plans, a deficiency checklist, and a dam inspection checklist.