Lessons Learned

Embankment dams and levees are vulnerable to damage from wildlife intrusions and animal impacts.

Emergency Action Plans can save lives and must be updated, understood, and practiced regularly to be effective.

Extreme floods do occur.

Floods can occur due to unusual or changing hydrologic conditions.

Forensic investigations are needed for major dam failures and incidents in order to determine the history of the contributing physical and human factors, and the culminating physical failure modes and mechanisms.

Gates and other mechanical systems at dams need to be inspected and maintained.

Hazardous hydraulic conditions, such as hydraulic rollers, can occur at dams of all sizes.

High and significant hazard dams should be designed to pass an appropriate design flood. Dams constructed prior to the availability of extreme rainfall data should be assessed to make sure they have adequate spillway capacity.