The changes will lower the cost of the inspection/evaluation for most dam owners.

• The review process is standardized, with clear guidance on what is required in the Five-Year Report….as well as what is not needed. Cost and time savings are realized through less correspondence between the engineer and DNRC.
• For dams with a lower population at risk downstream (i.e. rural dams), DNRC will accept less rigorous analyses for hydrology, hydraulics and stability, another cost savings.
• A questionnaire is now available for dam owners to complete 3-6 months before the inspection is due.  This questionnaire guides a dam owner through renewal preparation (documents and other information to have available for the engineer, key correspondence, etc.). Efforts in advance by a dam owner result in less billable hours for the engineer. 

The cost may increase for some dams: Some of the past reports have been substandard. To cut costs, some engineers failed to complete the required analysis or cut back on reporting. The cost will increase in these situations, as DNRC will no longer accept substandard reports.

The cost may increase for dams with previously inadequate instrumentation evaluations, at least initially.   Evaluation of piezometers, weirs and other seepage monitoring devices is extremely important. Serious problems with dams can be detected early with instrumentation. DNRC developed guidance for completing a dam instrumentation analysis (Technical Note 10). Note that once a program for instrumentation and evaluation is set up, it is easy for an engineer to update as needed.

Allowing the inspection to be split into two (or more) visits to the dam site. This change has many benefits:

1. Visual Inspection deadlines tend to creep towards winter with each renewal. Renewing the Operation Permit based on the second Visual Inspection eliminates this concern.
2. Inspecting spillways and outlets in the spring when the reservoir level is high is not pragmatic. The policy change provides flexibility to inspect the water conveyance structures when conditions are safer for personnel, and when components are visible.
3. Inspecting the embankment when the reservoir is full is critical for observing new and/or changing seepage conditions. It is also important to inspect the reservoir at lower pool levels, to view the upstream face for depressions or sinkholes.

DNRC will conduct an evaluation and communicate our findings with the dam owner. Dam owners are encouraged to discuss our findings with their engineers and make their own conclusions. FEMA guidelines suggest dams with 100 population at risk or more are considered “high consequences”. DNRC will work collaboratively with dam owners and engineers on this determination.