Small Dams and Extreme Events

According to the United States Army Corps of Engineering National Inventory of Dams (NID), there are over 91,000 dams in the United States, of which more than half are privately owned smaller dams. The average age of the dams is over 50 years, and therefore it is not surprising to find that the 2017 ASCE Infrastructure Report gave dams in America a grade of D. Many small dam owners do not fully understand the importance of periodic maintenance and inspections to extend their life and minimize risk to downstream areas. Furthermore, limited funds may burden the ability to properly maintain a small dam. This paper will identify maintenance issues for small dams that could lead to hazardous conditions in both steady state and extreme events. Recommendations will be provided for the development of guidance documents to assist small dam owners in determining how to make corrective actions on a limited budget.