Dam Safety Program
Purpose
DCR is Virginia’s regulatory authority ensuring that Virginia’s dams have proper and safe design, construction, operation and maintenance to protect public safety.
Authority
The Virginia Dam Safety Act, Article 2, Chapter 6, Title 10.1 (10.1-604 et seq) of the Code of Virginia and Dam Safety Impounding Structure Regulations (Dam Safety Regulations), established and published by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board (VSWCB). Virginia's Dam Safety Regulations were last updated on March 23, 2016.
Have a question or a concern about a dam? Click here.
Permit Requirements
No person or entity shall construct, begin to construct, alter or begin to alter an impounding structure until the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board issues a construction permit or an alteration permit.
Dams Subject to the Law
All dams in Virginia are subject to the Dam Safety Act and Dam Safety Regulations unless specifically excluded.
Exclusions
A dam is excluded if it:
- is less than six feet high;
- has a maximum capacity less than 50 acre-feet and is less than 25 feet in height;
- has a maximum capacity of less than 15 acre-feet and is more than 25 feet in height;
- is operated primarily for agricultural purposes and has a maximum capacity of less than 100 acre-feet or is less than 25 feet in height (if the use or ownership changes, the dam may be subject to regulation);
- is owned or licensed by the federal government;
- dams licensed by the State Corporation Commission that are subject to a safety inspection program;
- water or silt retaining dams approved pursuant to 45.2-618 or 45.2-1301 of the Code of Virginia
- is an obstruction in a canal used to raise or lower water levels.
Definitions
- Dam Height: the vertical distance from the streambed at the downstream toe to the top of the dam
- Dam Capacity: the maximum volume capable of being impounded at the top of the dam.
Hazard Potential Classification
Dams are classified with a hazard potential based on anticipated downstream losses in event of failure.
A dam's hazard potential is related to potential adverse downstream impacts should the dam fail. It is not based on the dam's structural integrity.
- High Hazard Dams - Failure would cause probable loss of life or serious economic damage
- Significant Hazard Dams - Failure might cause loss of life or appreciable economic damage
- Low Hazard Dams - Failure would lead to no expected loss of life or significant economic damage. Note: This classification includes dams whose failure would cause damage only to property of the dam owner.
More about dam classification.
Who may be considered an "owner" of a dam?
Certificates
The owner of each regulated high, significant, or low hazard dam is required to apply to the board for an Operation and Maintenance Certificate. The application must include:
- an assessment of the dam by a licensed professional
- Emergency Action Plan and the appropriate fee(s), submitted under separate cover
An executed copy of the Emergency Action Plan or Emergency Preparedness Plan must be filed with the appropriate local emergency official and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
Certificate fees and form
The VSWCB issues Regular Operation and Maintenance Certificates to the dam owner for a period of six years. If a dam has a deficiency but does not pose imminent danger, the board may issue a Conditional Operation and Maintenance Certificate, while the dam owner takes required action to correct the deficiency.
After a dam is certified by the board, annual inspections are required either by a professional engineer or the dam owner. The Annual Inspection Report is submitted to the regional dam safety engineer. Inspections by a professional engineer are required at the following frequency:
Inspection Frequency
- High Hazard Dams - Every two years
- Significant Hazard Dams - Every three years
- Low Hazard Dams - Every six years. Note: Inspections by a professional engineer are not required for low hazard dams determined to cause damage to only the dam owner’s property, but the dam owner must still annually inspect the dam and complete and submit an Annual Inspection Report to the regional dam safety engineer.
Forms
- DCR199-098.pdf / .doc - Annual Inspection Report for Virginia Regulated Impounding Structures
- DCR199-099.pdf / .doc - Operation and Maintenance Certificate Application for Virginia Regulated Impounding Structures
- DCR199-100.pdf / .doc - Record Report for Virginia Regulated Impounding Structures
- DCR199-101.pdf / .doc - Design Report for the Construction and Alteration of Virginia Regulated Impounding Structures
- DCR199-103.pdf / .doc- Emergency Preparedness Plan for Low Hazard Virginia Regulated Impounding Structures
- DCR199-106.pdf / .doc - Agricultural Exemption Report for Impounding Structures
- DCR199-107.pdf / .doc - Transfer of Impounding Structure Notification from Past Owner to New Owner
- DCR199-192.pdf / .doc - Department of Conservation and Recreation Certificate and Permit Application Fee Form
- DCR199-219.pdf / .docx - Virginia Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund grant application
- DCR-VSWCB-037.pdf - Certification Form: Review of New Probable Maximum Precipitation Values (Effective March 23, 2016) Using the PMP Evaluation Tool
- DCR199-242.pdf / .docx -
Virginia Floodplain Management Program Course Announcement (L273)
- DCR199-246.pdf (fillable) - DSIS Professional Engineer and Owner Signature Form (February 2019 version)
Links
Contacts
Download a map depicting Virginia's dam safety regions and pertinent contact information. You may also contact DCR's Dam Safety Program staff at 804-371-6095 or email dam@dcr.virginia.gov.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
