Some of the most important ways in which we as engineers can manage and protect downstream areas from a potential dam failure event are performing routine maintenance, providing sufficient spillway conveyance, and implementing proper emergency planning. Dam Safety regulations are constantly evolving and changing over time, so many existing spillways and embankments we work with were constructed using outdated practices or are no longer seen as “in-compliance” under today’s regulations.

Therefore, sometimes we have to get creative with how we ensure a dam can meet these criteria. Maintenance for all dams and critical infrastructure should be a standard in any operation plan, but meeting spillway conveyance requirements and implementing creative emergency response plans can be complex. Our team has had the privilege of working on a multitude of projects within Virginia that required unique design approaches that specifically targeted these components of dam stewardship. Providing services to many different localities has also deepened our understanding of potential design constraints and solutions. Our goal through this presentation is to relay our work, findings, and lessons on these subjects to the larger engineering community to hopefully expand our collective knowledge of dam safety and strategies.