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Safety of Dams Flood and Earthquake Criteria (1985) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Pages 1-4

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From page 1...
... The committee was assisted in its analysis of the problems of protecting dams and those persons and properties downstream as well as upstream from dams from flood and earthquake hazards by several federal agency representatives and a great many organizations and individuals who provided information on current practices. The committee considered a wide variety of issues ranging from the sciences of meteorology and earth tectonics to the role of government and principles of common law.
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From page 2...
... However, unless the runoff characteristic of the watershed were to change, increments in future estimates for a specific basin resulting from extension of the data base should, in general, be less than those noted in the past. Also, it is noted that there have been instances of later, more intensive hydrometeorological studies that resulted in reductions in estimates of probable maximum precipitation potentials from those established by earlier investigations.
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From page 3...
... The federal government has become increasingly involved in risk management issues in the last two decades. A number of federal agencies have developed various risk management standards for specific types of risk, but these are not applicable to risk management for dams.
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From page 4...
... 12. As advances occur in seismology, hydrology, meteorology, and the relevant data bases, and as changes are noted in public attitudes toward risk, the federal agencies should periodically undertake a review of dam safety practices and standards by an independent body representing the professions involved in engineering for clams and experts from other relevant clisciplines.
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Key Terms

  • probable maximum
  • extreme floods
  • evaluation flood
  • maximum precipitation
  • estimated probable

  • maximum credible
  • ground motions
  • credible earthquake
  • evaluation earthquake
  • maximum floods

  • dam failure
  • earthquake ground
  • maximum flood
  • public safety
  • safety evaluations

  • hazard definitions
  • catastrophic release
  • predict resultant
  • management standards
  • western united

  • independent body
  • owner liable
  • public attitudes
  • various risk
  • estimating potential

  • equal cost
  • hazard rating
  • method applied
  • existing dams
  • cause catastrophic


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