Dam Safety Services

Timmons Group works with public and private clients to provide Dam Safety related services, including navigating complex regulation requirements. As one of the principal dam engineering firms in the southeast United States, Timmons Group can help facilities comply with the Dam Safety regulations. We can successfully complete the work required to get dams certified by the DCR Division of Dam Safety, as well as assist in the annual inspections and certification renewals, which must be done on a specific cycle depending on the dam’s hazard classification

Dam owners need to be aware of the Virginia Impounding Structure Regulation requirements and determine whether they apply to their dam facilities. Regulations require all dams meeting certain size and water storage volume specifications come under the jurisdiction of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Division of Dam Safety (DCR). Typically dams 6 feet to 25 feet high and storing 50 acre-feet or more of water, and dams 25 feet and higher storing 15 acre-feet or more of water to the top of the dam, will fall within regulation criteria — regardless of whether they have been in the past — unless they meet certain exemption requirements.

The inspection and certification process can uncover dam deficiencies that must be repaired. So DCR, along with the Virginia Resources Authority, administers the Virginia Dam Safety Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund. This fund provides loans and grants for eligible projects, such as engineering design services for safety deficiency correction, dam break flood maps, and flood prevention plans. Timmons Group can help dam owners identify eligibility and submit applications for these funds.

The Virginia Impounding Structure Regulations constantly undergo changes in hazard classification, failure analysis, inundation mapping and spillway design storm requirements, and these changes could significantly affect a client’s dam. Timmons Group excels in understanding regulation requirements and can help clients deal with Dam Safety on these issues. In fact, we have worked with many dam owners across Virginia to provide cost-effective solutions to meet the Impounding Structure Regulation requirements.

When it’s required, the Timmons Group team is skilled in working with Local governments and community association groups to facilitate public meetings and provide materials for handouts and presentation purposes.

Dam Safety Services: