National Dam Safety Program Publications

The National Dam Safety Program provides a variety of publications, including:

  • Research Needs Workshop Reports
  • Technical Manuals, Guides and Reports
  • Technical Advisories
  • Safety Series Fact Sheets
  • Response and Recovery (R&R) Dam Response Operations Matrices
  • Dam Safety & Risk MAP/Flood Mapping Studies Fact Sheet Series
  • DSS-WISE Fact Sheets
  • FEMA P-1015, Technical Manual: Overtopping Protection for Dams (ZIP, 410MB)

Search for Dam Safety Publications

Search for documents below, or view our pages on Federal Guidelines, National Dam Safety Program Information, Resources for the General Public, or Resources for States.

You can order publications from the FEMA Distribution Center.

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Dam Safety in the United States: A Progress Report on the National Dam Safety Program Fiscal Years 2008-2011

This report describes the progress of the NDSP in FY 2008–2011. The final chapter includes strategies for strengthening the Program.

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Dam Safety in the United States: A Progress Report on the National Dam Safety Program Fiscal Years 2012 and 2013

In FY 2012 and 2013, the NDSP was guided by FEMA P-916, Strategic Plan for the National Dam Safety Program Fiscal Years 2012 through 2016. The progress that has been made in dam safety and in achieving the five goals set forth in the Strategic Plan during FY 2012 and 2013 is described in this report.

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Dam Safety Series – Fact Sheet 1: Use of Emerging Technologies

Examples of the successful use of emerging technologies for the dam emergencies that occurred during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. This Fact Sheet also provides information on actions that can be taken to reduce risks, improve emergency response, and improve communication related to dams.

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Dam Safety Series – Fact Sheet 2: Notification Methods

Examples of the successful use of notification methods for dam emergencies that occurred during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 to help stakeholders better understand notification methods that can be used during a dam-related incident. This Fact Sheet also provides information on coordinating notification messages.

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Dam Safety Series – Fact Sheet 3: Benefits of Pre-Event Exercises and Training

Examples of pre-event exercises and training relating to dams and dam emergencies that were conducted prior to Hurricane Matthew in 2016 to help stakeholders better understand pre-event exercises and training efforts that will help them respond to potential dam emergencies.

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Dam Safety Series – Fact Sheet 4: Proactive Actions

Examples of proactive actions taken in response to individual dam emergencies that occurred during Hurricane Matthew in 2016 so stakeholders can better understand actions they might take to reduce risks related to dam emergencies.

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Dam Safety Series – Fact Sheet 5: Benefits of Post-Event Data Collection for Dams

Examples of data collected for dams after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 to help stakeholders better understand some of the potential benefits of post-event data collection at dams.

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Dam Safety Technical Advisory #1: Risk Reduction Measures for Dams

The purpose of this Technical Advisory is to help people and organizations better understand the various measures that can be taken to reduce the risks from and improve resilience to dam failure. The intended audience includes federal, state, and local officials; tribal leaders; county and city engineers, planners, and emergency managers; dam owners and operators; building and property owners near or potentially affected by a dam failure; and other interested stakeholders.

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Dam Safety Technical Advisory #2: Risk Exposure and Residual Risk Related to Dams

The purpose of this Technical Advisory is to help all stakeholders better understand risk exposure, residual risk, and the potential contributing factors to risk related to living and working near a dam or within a dam inundation zone. The information is intended to help stakeholders improve emergency planning and community resilience based on informed decision making. The intended audience includes federal, state and local officials; tribal leaders; county and city planners and emergency managers; dam owners and operators; building and property owners near or potentially affected by a dam failure; and other interested stakeholders and the general public.

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Dam Safety Technical Advisory #3: Dam Awareness

The purpose of this Technical Advisory is to help increase the general understanding, knowledge, and awareness of dams to enable improved planning and community resilience, among other benefits. The target audience includes emergency managers and various planners; federal, state, and local officials; tribal leaders; city and county engineers and officials; dam owners and operators; building and property owners, including homeowners associations; stakeholders who live near or downstream of dams or are affected by them; and the general public.