Dam Safety Program

Monitors and regulates both private and public dams in Texas.

The Dam Safety Program monitors and regulates both private and public dams in Texas. The program periodically inspects dams that pose a high or significant hazard and makes recommendations and reports to dam owners to help them maintain safe facilities.

This page links to Texas regulations on dams, manuals on dam safety, and forms used by the program. Some files linked from this page are in Portable Document Format (PDF). (Help with PDF).

UPDATE: Dam Exemption

Effective September 1, 2011, dams that are located on private property, have a maximum impoundment capacity of less than 500 ac-ft, classified as low or significant hazard, located in a county with a population of less than 215,000 (as per 2010 census), and not located within the corporate limits of a municipality are exempt from safety requirements. Dam owners will still have to comply with maintenance and operation requirements. These exemption provisions expire August 31, 2015. You can view a map based on county population criteria at the following link: Exempt County Map

Guidance on Implementing Dam Safety Legislation September 1, 2011

EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS

Extensions to the Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Submittal Deadline

Attention all significant- and high- hazard dam owners. In accordance with Title 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) Chapter 299, Dams and Reservoirs, §299.61(b), all owners of significant and high hazard dams are required to submit an EAP, which may be a draft version, to the executive director for review by January 1, 2011.

Owners can be granted an extension to the deadline under the provisions of 30 TAC §299.61(d), as follows: “…If an owner cannot complete the emergency action plan within the two years required in subsection (b) of this section, the owner shall request an extension of time showing cause or a reasonable basis for the need for an extension and providing a time frame to complete. The request shall be submitted to the executive director for review and approval”. Please see below for details on submitting an extension request.

Emergency Action Plan Extension Requests:

Owners and owner representatives who wish to apply for an EAP extension must submit a written request to the TCEQ Dam Safety Program for review and approval no later than January 1, 2011. Please include the following information:

Dam name and national dam inventory number (ex: TX00000);
Explanation of cause or basis for the need for an extension; and
Time frame to complete the EAP.

Extension requests must be delivered to either: Warren D. Samuelson, P. E., Manager, Dam Safety Section or Diana Wang, P. E., Dam Safety Section at the following address.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

MC-174

P.O. Box 13087

Austin, TX 78711-3087

Dam Safety Workshops:

The TCEQ Dam Safety Program is holding a series of one-day workshops around the state for dam owners. The workshops will educate dam owners about state dam safety laws and regulations, dam failure modes and case histories, owner responsibilities/liabilities and security issues, dam operations, maintenance and inspections, and developing and implementing emergency action plans. Detailed information is available at the link: Dam Safety Workshops

Procuring the Services of a Professional Engineer and List of Engineers:

Many actions/repairs at a dam require the services of a professional engineer. TCEQ Dam Safety Program maintains a document to answer the most commonly asked questions about hiring an engineer and to provide a list of engineers who have requested to be placed on a list. The document is available at the link: Engineers List