Small Dam and Levee Management

Dams, levees and embankments all aid in managing our water supply, which can include flood prevention, water storage, irrigation, and power generation. Natural hazards, man-made threats, as well as an imbalance between resources invested and age of the structure all play a role in dam infrastructure resilience. The average age of our nation’s dams is 57 years, and many are older and did not benefit from modern geotechnical engineering practices and compaction quality control measures. Climate change is also playing its part with the increased frequency and intensity of storms, with more rain causing higher water levels. The Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act recently allocated roughly $3 billion for dam-related projects. The time is now to ensure small dams and levees are being maintained to mitigate potential failures in the future.

This collection is curated by Timothy D. Stark, F.ASCE, CEE Excellence Faculty Scholar Professor, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.