NPS Mission - National Park Service

National Park Service FY 2013 Budget Justifications
Activity: Special Programs
Subactivity: Dam Safety and Security Program
Justification of FY 2013 Program Changes
The FY 2013 budget request for the NPS Dam Safety and Security program is $1,248,000 and 1 FTE,
with no program change from FY 2012 Enacted.
Program Overview
The NPS Dam Safety and Security Program is mandated by Public Law 104-303, Section 215, National
Dam Safety and Security Program Act of 2002; U.S. Department of the Interior Departmental Manual,
Part 753, Dam Safety Program; and the NPS Management Policies, 2006. The primary reason for
creating this program was to prevent another incident like the Rocky Mountain NP Lawn Lake Dam
Failure of 1982 when three park visitors were killed and $30 million in damage occurred. The mission of
the NPS Dam Safety and Security Program is to minimize the risk posed by dams and water
impoundment structures to National Park natural and cultural resources, facilities, personnel, visitors, and
neighbors. To accomplish this mission, the NPS Dam Safety Program provides regularly scheduled
inspections and studies to identify risks posed by these structures. The program also provides funding to
projects that mitigate these risks by repairing, modifying or removing the dam. The program coordinates
and funds educational opportunities for regional and park contacts to stay informed regarding Dam Safety
and Security matters. The program also funds and coordinates Emergency Action Plans for each Dam
with high or significant hazard ratings.
Because of the Bureau of Reclamation’s expertise and oversight of the DOI Maintenance, Dam Safety
and Security Programs, the NPS has regularly used their services and advice in managing NPS dams
and monitoring non-NPS structures affecting the National Park System.
There are over 180 dams in the NPS, of which 11 are classified as high hazard (life threatening) and
three are significant hazard (threatening economic loss to others); over 164 dams are low hazard
(potentially threatening park resources). Many of these 164 low hazard dams are expected to be
reclassified as too small to be under the jurisdiction of the Dam Safety program. While all dams in the
NPS inventory are eligible for funding, the NPS focuses on these high and significant hazard projects as
the first priority. For the past several years, the program has been reviewing the safety of the dams in a
risk context to better identify and rank future dam safety projects.
FY 2013 Program Performance
The NPS plans to focus on the following projects:
• Support the completion of National Capital Region, National Mall Levee (17 th Street Closure
project), subsequent levee certification, and residual risk studies.
• Repair Star Fort Pond Dam (high hazard) on the Ninety-Six NHS.
• Repair Lily Lake Dam (high hazard) in Rocky Mountain NP.
• Examine, evaluate and repair low hazard dams.
• Continue comprehensive dam risk evaluations.
• Continue dam safety training for park staff and provide increased focus on Emergency Action
Plans.
CONST-42