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A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Technical Manual for Dam Owners: Impacts of Animals on Earthen Dams
In 1999, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) jointly conducted research and a workshop to shed light on the national problem of animal intrusion damage to earthen dams and the resulting safety issues. The FEMA/ASDSO survey and workshop united dam owners, engineers, state and federal regulators, wildlife managers, foresters, and academia to form an educated and experienced front against the growing problem of earthen dam damage and failures due to animal intrusion. The information generated by roundtable discussions and survey answers indicates that while most states recognize animal intrusion as a problem, only a handful know of guidance on dams and wildlife management practices available to the dam professionals and owners. Based on input from the dam communities, FEMA/ASDSO's mission to develop a guidance manual on the proper management of nuisance wildlife in the earthen dam environment became clear. To determine the information needs of the dam community-and therefore the most appropriate focus of this manual-FEMA/ASDSO issued a survey in 1999 and used the survey input from the 48 state dam safety officials representatives and 11 federal agencies representing the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety (ICODS). Additionally, a second survey was issued in 2003 to identify the current needs of each state, determine what nuisance wildlife and damages the states encounter, and understand which mitigation methods are being used with success or failure. Four main ideas emerged from the two survey efforts; these ideas consequently steered the direction of this manual: Cumulatively, the states indicated a range of problems caused by numerous wildlife species relative to the operation of dams. This manual discusses 23 species with regard to their habitat, behavior, threat to dams, food habits, identifying characteristics, and management options: Muskrat, Beaver, Mountain Beaver, Groundhog, Pocket Gopher, North American Badger, Nutria, Prairie Dog, Ground Squirrel, Armadillo, Livestock (cow, sheep, horse, pig and wild pig), Crayfish, Coyote, Moles and Voles, River Otter, Gopher Tortoise, Red Fox and Gray Fox, Canada Goose, American Alligator, and Ants. While the states are fully aware of the potential adverse impacts wildlife activity can have on earthen dams (such as failure), private dam owners and local dam operators are often not aware of potential problems, and thus may not conduct inspections with wildlife damage in mind. Local dam owners may not typically mitigate existing wildlife intrusion problems or prevent them in the future. States want to know how other states are successfully mitigating wildlife damages. Further, mitigation and prevention guidance should be developed and conveyed to the dam communities. Guidance booklets for local dam owners are needed to assist dam inspectors in identifying and mitigating animal intrusion issues. Out of 48 states that responded to FEMA and ASDSO surveys, 25 document nuisance animals as the cause of dam failures or unsafe dam operations in their states. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture document several similar cases at the federal level. State dam safety officials and federal agencies agree that animal burrows within dams can cause substantial and costly damage if left unmitigated and are consequently a major concern.
Technical Manual for Dam Owners: Impacts of Animals on Earthen Dams
In 1999, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) jointly conducted research and a workshop to shed light on the national problem of animal intrusion damage to earthen dams and the resulting safety issues. The FEMA/ASDSO survey and workshop united dam owners, engineers, state and federal regulators, wildlife managers, foresters, and academia to form an educated and experienced front against the growing problem of earthen dam damage and failures due to animal intrusion. The information generated by roundtable discussions and survey answers indicates that while most states recognize animal intrusion as a problem, only a handful know of guidance on dams and wildlife management practices available to the dam professionals and owners. Based on input from the dam communities, FEMA/ASDSO's mission to develop a guidance manual on the proper management of nuisance wildlife in the earthen dam environment became clear. To determine the information needs of the dam community-and therefore the most appropriate focus of this manual-FEMA/ASDSO issued a survey in 1999 and used the survey input from the 48 state dam safety officials representatives and 11 federal agencies representing the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety (ICODS). Additionally, a second survey was issued in 2003 to identify the current needs of each state, determine what nuisance wildlife and damages the states encounter, and understand which mitigation methods are being used with success or failure. Four main ideas emerged from the two survey efforts; these ideas consequently steered the direction of this manual: Cumulatively, the states indicated a range of problems caused by numerous wildlife species relative to the operation of dams. This manual discusses 23 species with regard to their habitat, behavior, threat to dams, food habits, identifying characteristics, and management options: Muskrat, Beaver, Mountain Beaver, Groundhog, Pocket Gopher, North American Badger, Nutria, Prairie Dog, Ground Squirrel, Armadillo, Livestock (cow, sheep, horse, pig and wild pig), Crayfish, Coyote, Moles and Voles, River Otter, Gopher Tortoise, Red Fox and Gray Fox, Canada Goose, American Alligator, and Ants. While the states are fully aware of the potential adverse impacts wildlife activity can have on earthen dams (such as failure), private dam owners and local dam operators are often not aware of potential problems, and thus may not conduct inspections with wildlife damage in mind. Local dam owners may not typically mitigate existing wildlife intrusion problems or prevent them in the future. States want to know how other states are successfully mitigating wildlife damages. Further, mitigation and prevention guidance should be developed and conveyed to the dam communities. Guidance booklets for local dam owners are needed to assist dam inspectors in identifying and mitigating animal intrusion issues. Out of 48 states that responded to FEMA and ASDSO surveys, 25 document nuisance animals as the cause of dam failures or unsafe dam operations in their states. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the National Park Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture document several similar cases at the federal level. State dam safety officials and federal agencies agree that animal burrows within dams can cause substantial and costly damage if left unmitigated and are consequently a major concern.
Technical Manual for Dam Owners: Impacts of Animals on Earthen Dams
2005
122 pages
Report
No indication
English
Soil & Rock Mechanics , Civil Engineering , Zoology , Pest Control , Natural Resource Management , Problem-Solving Information for State & Local , Urban & Regional Technology & Development , Earthen dams , Animal intrusion , Manuals , Dam safety , Wildlife management , FEMA(Federal Emergency Management Association) , Muskrats , Nutria , Alligators , Ants , Prairie dogs , Ground squirrels , Armadillos , Crayfish , Beavers , Gophers , Badgers , Ground hogs , Coyotes , Otters , Moles , Foxes , Canadian geese , Tortoises , Nuisance wildlife
| Engineering Index Backfile | 1902
| Engineering Index Backfile | 1909
| Engineering Index Backfile | 1892