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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DSS-WISE Lite: Web-based Automated Dam-Break Modeling/Mapping Fact Sheet

DSS-WISE™ Lite is a web-based, automated two-dimensional dam-break flood modeling and mapping capability developed by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE), the University of Mississippi. The development of the web-based tool and its operation and maintenance is supported by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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DSS-WISE Lite: Web-based Automated Dam-Break Modeling/Mapping Fact Sheet

DSS-WISE™ Lite is a web-based, automated two-dimensional dam-break flood modeling and mapping capability developed by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE), the University of Mississippi. The development of the web-based tool and its operation and maintenance is supported by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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DSS-WISE™ Lite Case Studies - A State Perspective

This is a summary of how states are using Decision Support System for Water Infrastructure Security™ Lite (DSS-WISE™ Lite), a web-based, automated two-dimensional dam-break flood modeling and mapping capability, as a dam risk management tool. DSS-WISE™ Lite was developed by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering (NCCHE), the University of Mississippi. Its development, operation, and maintenance are supported by FEMA. DSS-WISE™ Lite has been used extensively during numerous dam incidents and emergencies. FEMA reached out to several states asking for case studies of their experience with DSS-WISE and received over 100 examples. </p>

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Emergency Action Planning for State Regulated High-Hazard Potential Dams: Findings, Recommendations and Strategies (FEMA 608)

Preventing loss of life from dam failure is the paramount concern of the National Dam Safety Program. This concern has intensified as a result of recent disasters that have focused attention on the state of the critical infrastructure in the United States and raised questions on the safety of dams nationwide. As part of a recent initiative to promote the implementation of Emergency Action Plans at all high-hazard potential dams across the United States, FEMA has asked all of the states to adopt the applicable recommendations contained in this paper.

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Emergency Action Planning for State Regulated High-Hazard Potential Dams: Findings, Recommendations and Strategies (FEMA 608) (Text Version)

Preventing loss of life from dam failure is the paramount concern of the National Dam Safety Program. This concern has intensified as a result of recent disasters that have focused attention on the state of the critical infrastructure in the United States and raised questions on the safety of dams nationwide. As part of a recent initiative to promote the implementation of Emergency Action Plans at all high-hazard potential dams across the United States, FEMA has asked all of the states to adopt the applicable recommendations contained in this paper.

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Emergency Operations Planning: Dam Incident Planning Guide

This Dam Incident Planning Guide supports state, local, tribal, and territorial emergency managers in planning for dam incidents and failures by summarizing the concepts that a community should consider when creating dam incident-specific elements of local emergency operations plans. This guide builds on the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101: Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.1 It also provides guidance for dam owners and operators on how to engage with emergency managers prior to an incident to ensure a well-coordinated response. Appendix A provides a general template for a community dam incident plan that can be adapted to meet each community’s needs.

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Evaluation and Monitoring of Seepage and Internal Erosion (FEMA P-1032)

Internal erosion occurring at Federal (and non-Federal) embankment dams and levees poses a threat of failure and the potential risk to public safety. This document presents a summary of current Federal practices for monitoring and measuring seepage, identifying potential failure modes (PFMs) related to internal erosion, assessing risk related to internal erosion, and remediating internal erosion. While research continues into these processes, this document attempts to present the best understanding based on current Federal agency practice. Hence, very recent or new, unproven technologies are not discussed.

Sign reading: Danger Dam Ahead. Deadly Waters. Dam Information with a graphic of a stick figure falling out of a boat going over a dam.
Example Safety Signage

Sign reading: Danger Dam Ahead. Deadly Waters. Dam Information with a graphic of a stick figure falling out of a boat going over a dam.

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Experience with Using the Remote Monitoring System to Respond to the Dam Emergencies

National Dam Safety Program | Leyinh Zhang

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Extreme Precipitation and Climate Change: Observations and Projections | Kenneth E. Kunkel

2020 NDSP Technical Seminar Presentation
Extreme Precipitation and Climate Change: Observations and Projections | Kenneth E. Kunkel