05/28/2026
This Sunday is National Dam Safety Awareness Day. It's a good time to remember what dams do for us and the responsibility that comes with them.
Dams give us flood protection, water supply, hydropower, recreation, and more. In the U.S., there are more than 90,000 dams in the National Inventory of Dams, and more than 15% are classified as having high hazard potential, which makes ongoing inspection, planning, and technical expertise essential.
At WEST, we support dam safety across the country through breach modeling, design, safety investigations, and operational studies. Our staff also teach HEC-RAS dam breach modeling courses through the American Society of Civil Engineers.
But you don't have to be an engineer to help keep people safe around dams.
Practical dam safety tips this summer:
• Find out where dams are located before you spend time on or near a river
• Follow posted warnings, barriers, and portage routes
• Stay out of the water at low-head dams, and never try to swim, float, paddle, or boat over one
• Wear a life jacket when boating or spending time near moving water
• If you see a low-head dam, keep your distance and walk around it on land
Dam safety is a shared responsibility, and awareness starts with all of us.
