Dam Safety Program
Jason Boyle, State Dam Safety Engineer (651) 259-5715
Description | Clientele, Products and Services | Information Management | Staff
Purpose
The Dam Safety Program exists to ensure that dams in Minnesota are safe, are operated responsibly, and are removed when they become obsolete.
Description
The Dam Safety Program has the following responsibilities:
- inspect and analyze publicly and privately owned dams to ensure their structural integrity and safety;
- provide engineering review of proposed dam projects;
- issue dam safety permits; and
- administer state bonding funds for the repair, reconstruction, or removal of dams owned by the state and local governments and determine the scope of work for these projects.
The Director of DNR Waters has been delegated authority from the DNR commissioner for administering the majority of the state water law contained in Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 103G. Chapter 103G gives the commissioner authority to regulate work in public waters; control the appropriation and use of water; ensure the safety of dams; and conduct water resource surveys, investigations, and studies.
Among other things, Chapter 103G authorizes the commissioner to ensure the safety of dams. Section 103G.515, Subdivision 3(a) contains the following: "If the commissioner determines that the reservoir, dam, control structure, or waterway obstruction is unsafe or needs repair or alteration, the commissioner shall notify the owner of the structure with an order to repair, alter, or remove the structure. The order must be issued in the same manner as if the owner had applied for a permit for the repairs, alterations, or removal."
Clientele, Products and Services
Primary clientele are dam owners, and people benefitted or affected by dams. Dam owners include individuals, the DNR, local governments, federal government agencies, and industry. People benefitted or affected by dams are primarily those owning shoreland on lakes where an outlet dam affects lake levels, those living on rivers where a dam either affects reservoir levels or downstream flows, or people and businesses who rely on the electricity produced by hydropower facilities. Recreational users of lakes and rivers affected by dams are also important clientele.
Products provided by the Dam Safety Program include:
- dam inspection reports documenting the condition of dams and outlining repair and maintenance needs;
- dam safety permits authorizing the construction, alteration, repair, or removal of dams;
- grant agreements setting forth the terms and conditions for local governments to receive state dam safety grants to assist them in undertaking local dam repair, reconstruction, or removal projects;
- priority lists of state and local government dams needing repair, reconstruction, or removal, which are required to be submitted to the legislature in June of each odd-numbered year;
- informational brochures on the dam safety program and on dam safety permit guidelines; and
- properly maintained dams that are safe and provide stable lake level control, flood control, water supply, and other public benefits.
Services provided by the Dam Safety Program include:
- performing dam inspections requested by dam owners to evaluate the structural integrity and proper functioning of dams,
- providing information on dams to customers on request, and
- providing advice and guidance to dam owners and other interested parties to assist them in developing and evaluating options for managing dams.
Information Management
The Dam Safety Program maintains two principal information systems: hard copy dam files and an electronic dam information database.
A hard copy file system organized by county is maintained on all dams that are subject to state dam safety regulations or have had information or reports generated on them for another purpose. A typical file contains construction plans, photos, inspection reports, and correspondence.
Minnesota's component of the national computerized dam inventory database called NATDAM was developed in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. NATDAM contains information on about 1,000 Minnesota dams subject to state dam safety regulations. It can store information on dam name, location, purpose, hazard classification, structural condition, date of last inspection, and about 30 other data elements.
Staff
The Dam Safety Program is staffed by four full-time positions. A principal engineer serves as the unit supervisor and directs two senior engineers and a dam maintenance specialist. Dam Safety contracts with the DNR Bureau of Engineering or outside engineering consultants for design services and construction inspection on major state dam projects funded with state bonding appropriations.
Program Personnel
- Jason Boyle, State Dam Safety Engineer (651) 259-5715 jason.boyle@state.mn.us
- Dan Zwilling, Civil Engineer, (651) 259-5722, daniel.zwilling@state.mn.us
- Dana Dostert, Civil Engineer, (651) 259-5663, dana.dostert@state.mn.us
- Don Heuer, Dam Maintenance Specialist, don.heuer@state.mn.us
If you are unable to reach the above program personnel, contact Dave Leuthe, Section Administrator, (651) 259-5709, dave.leuthe@state.mn.us
