May 31st is National Dam Safety Awareness Day, an event that commemorates the tragic failure of the South Fork Dam in Johnstown, Penn. Although not a USACE constructed dam, the May 31, 1889 dam failure resulted in the loss of more than 2,200 lives and was the worst dam failure in the history of the United States. National Dam Safety Awareness Day encourages and promotes individual and community awareness and responsibility, as well as best practices for dam safety. Our dams are part of our nation’s landscape, integral to many communities and critical to watershed management. We operate and maintain 707 dams that provide significant benefits to the nation: reducing on average more than $20 billion per year in flood damages; clean water supply for residential, industrial and agricultural uses; zero emissions hydropower, the largest provider in the U.S.; efficient transportation for moving large exports of corn, wheat, and soy from U.S. farmers to the world; and recreation for approximately 370 million visits per year. There are more than 87,000 dams in the National Inventory of Dams, which are operated and maintained by different types of owners--neighborhood associations, private citizens, or state, local, tribal or federal agencies. The safety of dams has been a major concern of USACE since it began building dams in the 1840s. We deliver safe dam operation and performance on a continuing basis through assessment, risk communication and active management by people at all levels of our organization --the driving force of our Dam Safety Program. And, we have an aggressive dam safety investment plan to repair our dams that is informed by an understanding of the potential risks and benefits. We should all be proud of our accomplishments and safety record. On this upcoming National Dam Safety Awareness Day, I ask each of you to think about how you and your community recognize the importance of dam safety: it’s a shared responsibility. Thank you, Tom Bostick LTG, US Army 53rd Chief of Engineers
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 11:48:22 +0000
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