Dams are a vital part of our world’s infrastructure, and global or environmental forces can affect how we assess their safety. Risk, climate change, and sedimentation and sustainability are three such factors driving recent changes and developments in how we assess, modify, and design dams for water supply, flood control, and power generation.
Brian Becker spent 35 years in dam engineering positions with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before joining Barr. Brian, a delegate to the International Commission on Large Dams’ Committee on Dam Safety, discusses how these trends could impact facility design, operations, and planning.
A: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently updated regulations, making formerly voluntary risk assessments mandatory. The reason was the benefits: the work that goes into risk analysis leads involved parties to gain a deeper understanding of a dam and its strengths and weaknesses; it helps owners and agencies know what needs to be mitigated.
As far as clients, they may not completely understand risk analysis themselves. They may have questions about what will be expected. They’ll need information about what risk analysis entails; training on dam inspection and making risk-related business decisions; assistance conducting the analysis; and help working risk analysis into their business model.
Our dam engineering team can help clients understand and perform risk analysis and RIDM, as well as Potential Failure Mode Analyses and semi-quantitative and quantitative risk assessments. Our strength is helping owners and operators truly understand the resulting information and how to use it to make or prioritize decisions.
A: Climate change—and extreme weather and floods—will affect how we operate facilities, store water, and generate power; it will also affect irrigation supply. The challenges include making water available, anticipating extreme storms, and planning for and managing a fluctuating water supply. Twenty years ago, when we called it global warming, I worked with hydrologists to try to better understand climate change impacts on dam safety; even now, there’s still a lot to learn. One continually maturing aspect is the creation of resilient structures. Barr understands the latest developments, and we consider resilience when designing dam modifications or new structures and assisting with operations plans.
A: Sedimentation in a reservoir impacts the amount of water that can be stored and supplied, and reservoir sustainability is affecting the economics and viability of many facilities. In future planning, owners and operators need to account for storage loss and include it in their economic analysis; design must accommodate how a dam or reservoir will handle sedimentation. Barr can help clients understand sedimentation effects and determine the best mitigation measures, such as design modifications, dredging, or other methods to restore volume. For a new facility, we can help anticipate sustainability needs.
For more information on dam safety and risk assessment, contact us.
Brian Becker’s extensive 35-year background in dam engineering was gained in positions with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). A specialist in dam safety and risk assessment and management, he served as the USBR’s Dam Safety Chief and is a current U.S. delegate to the International Commission on Large Dams’ Committee on Dam Safety.
Q&A: Spotlight on safety
Transforming water treatment plant design
Unlock funding for abandoned mines
Proactive permitting strategy powers solar project success
Stormwater: Underground and under control
Receive the latest editions right to your inbox and explore industry trends, projects, and company news.
New EPA standards for oil and natural gas storage tank venting systems
New wastewater discharge standards for coal-fired power plants
Hometown flooding experience inspires career aspirations
Choose your own adventure as an intern at Barr
Internship offers real-life experience in the Canadian oil sands
EPA finalizes GHG standards for electric power generation industry
Improving the ecological health of natural areas within your park system
From teenage errand boy to chief marketing officer
Ready or not, artificial intelligence is here to stay
Certain PFAS now designated as hazardous substances under CERCLA
EPA releases maximum contaminant levels for PFAS in drinking water
Envisioning reuse: The next chapter in the story of industrial water
Hear more about water reuse from Barr's experts
Project: Turning a facility’s wastewater into process water
Project: System evaluation to achieve zero liquid discharge
Navigating the storm: Effectively managing industrial stormwater
Seeing the picture below ground
New PFAS reporting requirements under TSCA
Engineer makes a career, and a hobby, out of modeling
Addressing water scarcity: A case study on aquifer storage and recovery projects
Stack test method OTM-50 announced to measure PFAS in air emissions
Q&A: From operations-based site experience to practical geotechnical mining solutions
Revolutionizing tomorrow through technology and innovation
Cost of removal and destruction of PFAS from wastewater effluent
4,000 wetlands and counting: Journeys of a wetland ecologist
Managing risks when decommissioning PFAS-impacted facilities
Developing a sustainable mine closure vision
Ecosphere Environmental Services, Inc. staff join Barr
A zoo with a view: Treetop Trail opens
Clean water for the Yanesha people of Peru
Adding RNG to your energy portfolio
Happy holidays from all of us at Barr!
Watershed-wide analysis improves strategies to manage climate change
An ecosystem approach to watershed planning and water resource protection
Stormwater O&M: When construction ends, the work begins
How will changes to the TRI/PFAS reporting rule affect your facility?
Barr brings a straightforward approach to Minnesota PFAS cost estimate study
Diving into the data as an air quality specialist
How safe is your tailings dam?
New technology expands access to solar energy
Slope repair puts solid ground under the skis
Creative solutions result in time and cost savings for clients
University flips the switch to “dark-sky-friendly" lighting plan
EPA program connects partners for sediment restoration
MSHA proposes new silica-exposure standards
The evolution of PFAS analytical methods over the last decade
Mining the Intermountain West: From operations to consulting
Six reasons to add RNG to your energy portfolio
Balancing power generation with air quality compliance
Wind turbine foundations now and in the future
Summarizing recent changes to NEPA
Making the most of every opportunity
Gaining real-world experience through Barr’s internship program
From a client’s perspective
Using waste heat recovery for carbon management
Minnesota's mine-reclamation legacy enters exciting new chapter
Building climate resilience through green infrastructure design
Navigating CCR compliance under recent EPA determinations
Municipal waste stream PFAS removal and destruction: Current alternatives and cost
EPA proposes rule to reduce ethylene oxide emissions from commercial sterilizers
Barr celebrates Founders Day: A CEO’s perspective
Five steps to develop a greenhouse gas inventory for agricultural manufacturing
How will the new PFAS MCLs affect NPDES permits?
Time to repower your wind energy site?
Foundation assessment a critical first step for wind repowering
New heat-sensing drone sees the unseen
Natural resources plan addresses city’s changing ecosystem
To heal nutrient-impaired lakes, apply persistence and resourcefulness
EPA proposes maximum contaminant levels for six PFAS
Two projects honored for engineering excellence
Adding lithium to mining operations: Environmental, permitting, and ESG factors
Adding lithium to mining operations: Engineering and design factors
Collecting data from the skies with reality capture technology
Green infrastructure and stacked-benefits projects
EPA proposes maximum contaminant levels for six PFAS in drinking water
Minnesota DNR releases new commercial solar siting guidance
Emerging PFAS destruction technologies
The Inflation Reduction Act: Manufacturing focus
Domestic uranium production on the rise
EPA's latest proposed rule eliminates PFAS reporting exemption
Introducing Barr’s ugly holiday sweater contest winner
Civil designs create homes for the holidays
Designing Africa's first potash processing facility
Q&A: Are mussels impeding your underwater project?
EPA begins enforcement of coal-ash disposal rule
Floodplain management expert joins Barr
From our CEO
Designing Africa’s first potash mine
The Inflation Reduction Act: Mining focus
The Inflation Reduction Act: Power focus
A deeper look into the promising new PFAS destruction approach
Tailings storage facilities: A unique challenge for a critical industry
The Inflation Reduction Act: Fuels focus
Making an impact in the Rocky Mountain Region
From Boy Scout to Senior NEPA Consultant
Stabilizing a community's backup water supply
Q&A: In your ESG journey, keep the destination in mind
Inflation Reduction Act opens door for energy investment
Reviving landings on Lake Michigan's Plum and Pilot Islands
PFAS: What’s all the hype?