National Bulletin:	210-22-8	Date:	April 26, 2022
Subject:	ENG - National Dam Safety Awareness Day - May 31, 2022

Purpose. To announce National Dam Safety Awareness Day – May 31, 2022.

Expiration Date. January 31, 2023

Background. National Dam Safety Awareness Day was created to commemorate the tragic loss of life following the South Fork Dam failure near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 1889. The failure of the South Fork Dam killed more than 2,200 people and is considered the worst dam-related disaster to date in the United States.

NRCS plays an important role in the National Dam Safety Program (NDSP), as the agency has an interest in approximately one third of the 91,984 dams in the National Inventory of Dams. NRCS participated in the establishment of the Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety in 1979, provides leadership for USDA dam safety, and is a member of the Interagency Committee on Dam Safety and the National Dam Safety Review Board. NRCS is a partner of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials on dam safety activities. NRCS uses the web-based applications DamWatch and GeoObserver for Dams to help project sponsors maintain robust dam safety programs.

Explanation. National Dam Safety Awareness Day is observed on May 31 each year to encourage individual and community responsibility for dam safety, as well as to provide information on steps that can be taken to prevent catastrophic dam failures. It also promotes the benefits dams offer to communities.

For more than 40 years, the NDSP has committed to protecting the lives of American citizens and their property from the risks associated with the development, operation, and maintenance of dams. The NDSP is a partnership of states, federal agencies, and other stakeholders to promote the establishment and maintenance of effective federal and state dam safety programs to reduce the risk to human life, property, and the environment from dam-related hazards.

NRCS encourages all states and territories to have or support local or statewide events on or around May 31 that educate the public about dam safety.

Contact. For information about National Dam Safety Awareness Day or about dam safety in general, please contact José Hernández, National Design Engineer, Conservation Engineering Division, at (202) 906-0046 or Jose.Hernandez4@usda.gov.

/s/

NOLLER HERBERT
Deputy Chief for Science and Technology