Association of State Dam Safety Officials

Association of State Dam Safety Officials
Name	Association of State Dam Safety Officials
Abbreviation	ASDSO
Founded	1984
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Region served	United States
Membership	State dam safety programs, federal agencies, private sector

Association of State Dam Safety Officials is a U.S.-based nonprofit professional association representing state-level dam safety programs, federal agencies, and private-sector stakeholders. It supports regulatory, technical, and policy efforts related to dam safety across the United States through training, guidance, advocacy, and information sharing. The organization engages with multiple agencies, standards bodies, and emergency management entities to reduce risks associated with dams and levees.

History

The organization emerged in the early 1980s amid heightened attention to infrastructure disasters following incidents such as the Teton Dam failure and regulatory responses influenced by investigations into the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state-level reviews. Founding members included representatives from state agencies that later interacted with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and state departments such as the California Department of Water Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Over time the association formalized relationships with entities like the National Academy of Sciences, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the National Dam Safety Review Board to shape model legislation and technical standards. Landmark events in its timeline include symposia attended by delegations from the National Governors Association and briefings to committees of the United States Congress on infrastructure resilience.

Mission and Objectives

The association's mission emphasizes reducing loss of life and property by advancing dam safety through policy, technical assistance, and workforce development. Objectives commonly cited in its strategic plans align with priorities of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for flood risk reduction, reservoir management, and climate adaptation. It seeks to promote adoption of standards promulgated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, consensus documents from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology to improve inspection, rehabilitation, and emergency action planning practices.

Membership and Organization

Membership comprises state dam safety officials, engineers from state departments such as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, representatives of federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey, and private consultants affiliated with firms that engage with the American Council of Engineering Companies. The association is governed by a board that has included past chairs who previously served in state-level offices and liaisons from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region offices. Committees mirror technical divisions in professional societies such as the International Commission on Large Dams and collaborate with accreditation entities like the Board of Professional Engineers in various states.

Programs and Activities

Key programs include training workshops, annual conferences, and technical certification courses often attended by engineers from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and inspectors from state departments like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The association organizes peer-review programs and tabletop exercises alongside emergency managers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and floodplain managers affiliated with the Association of State Floodplain Managers. It administers award programs recognizing projects profiled by publications such as those from the American Society of Civil Engineers and convenes task forces on issues raised by incidents investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board when hydraulic infrastructure is implicated.

Publications and Guidance

The association publishes manuals, technical bulletins, and model templates for emergency action plans that reference standards from the American Society of Civil Engineers and methodologies used by the United States Geological Survey for hydrologic analyses. Its guidance documents have been cited in training curricula developed with the National Hydropower Association and policy briefs shared with legislative staff of the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. It also produces newsletters and proceedings from conferences that feature papers co-authored by researchers at institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Colorado State University, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Collaboration and Partnerships

The organization partners with federal agencies including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the United States Geological Survey, and coordinates with professional bodies like the American Society of Civil Engineers and the International Commission on Large Dams. It engages with emergency management entities such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state emergency management agencies, and with academic partners including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Washington for research on seismic vulnerability, sedimentation, and climate impacts. International cooperation has involved exchanges with the United Kingdom Environment Agency and delegations from the World Bank on dam safety investment programs.

Impact and Notable Projects

The association has influenced the enactment and improvement of state dam safety laws in multiple jurisdictions and contributed technical input to rehabilitation projects that involved agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Notable projects and case studies disseminated through its conferences have included reservoir retrofits, spillway upgrades, and emergency action planning efforts associated with high-profile sites managed by entities like the Tennessee Valley Authority and municipal utilities in cities such as Los Angeles and Seattle. Its training programs have improved inspection protocols used by state inspectors who coordinate with hydrologic monitoring networks run by the United States Geological Survey and flood modeling conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Category:Dam safety Category:Professional associations based in the United States