The Dams Sector-Specific Agency engages sector partners, including owners and operators as well as regulators, to develop and make available reference documents, exercises, and training modules that enhance prevention, protection, security, recovery, and resilience capabilities. Several of these publications and tools are listed below along with links to the National Inventory of Dams and National Levee Database managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Dam Safety Program led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Several federal guidelines and laws related to the Dams Sector are also listed below.

Dams Sector Reference Documents

The owners, operators, and regulators that comprise the Dams Sector partnership are committed to information sharing to enhance the security of the sector. The following examples of materials prepared by the sector demonstrate that commitment

• Dams Sector Annual Report
  The annual report updates information on the sector’s efforts to identify and prioritize sector critical infrastructure and coordinate its protection. The report annually assesses progress made on relevant risk reduction activities that effectively improve preparedness, protection, and resilience across the sector.
• Dams Sector-Specific Plan
  The Dams Sector-Specific Plan (SSP) supports the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) by establishing a coordinated approach to national priorities, goals, and requirements for critical infrastructure protection. The SSP provides the means by which the NIPP is implemented across the sector.
• Dams Sector Handbooks and Guides
  These publications assist owners and operators in identifying security concerns and indicators of possible threat activity, and reporting those incidents.
  • Security Awareness Guide (PDF - 20 pages, 1.77 MB)
  • Security Awareness Guide: Levees (PDF - 20 pages, 2.93 MB)
• Dams Sector Brochures
  • Active and Passive Vehicle Barriers (PDF - 9 pages, 1 MB) 
    Provides owners and operators with information on a variety of active and passive vehicle barriers, and properly designing and selecting vehicle barrier systems.
  • Waterside Barriers (PDF - 4 pages, 254 KB) 
    Provides owners and operators information on waterside barriers and their use, maintenance, and effectiveness – elements that must be carefully taken into account when selecting waterside barriers.
  • Personnel Screening (PDF - 4 pages, 240 KB) 
    Suggests elements of personnel screening protocols to reduce the likelihood of insider threats from employees and contractor support.
  • Security Awareness for Levee Owners
    Provides succinct information on surveillance indicators and incident reporting.
  • Physical Security Measures for Levees
    Offers information on physical security measures that a levee owner could employ and the factors affecting the selection of those measures.
• Dams Sector Templates
  Dams Sector partners provided templates, guidelines, and models to assist other owners and operators in developing the following plans: Continuity of Operations, Cybersecurity, Emergency Action, Exercises, Pandemic, Recovery, and Security.

Dams Web and Print Publications

• Dams Sector Overview – Provides information about the Dams Sector, including the partnership framework within which the sector operates and some reference documents developed by the sector.
• Dams Sector Crisis Management Handbook (PDF – 84 pages, 2.41 MB) – Provides information relating to emergency response and preparedness issues; includes recommendations for developing emergency action plans and site recovery plans.
• Dams Sector Security Awareness Guide (PDF – 20 pages, 2.42 MB) – Assists in identifying security concerns, coordinating proper response, and establishing effective partnerships with local law enforcement and first responder communities.
• Dams Sector Security Awareness Guide for Levees (PDF – 20 pages, 7.16 MB) – Assists in identifying security concerns, coordinating proper response, and establishing effective partnerships with local law enforcement and first responder communities.
• Dams Sector Active and Passive Vehicle Barriers Guide (PDF – 9 pages, 1 MB) – Provides information on a variety of active and passive vehicle barriers.
• Dams Sector Waterside Barriers Guide (PDF – 4 pages, 254 KB) – Provides information on waterside barriers, including their use and maintenance.
• Dams Sector Personnel Screening Guide for Owners and Operators (PDF – 4 pages, 240 KB) – Provides information that assists in developing and implementing personnel screening protocols.
• Dams Sector Resources on the Homeland Security Information Network – Provides a brief description and access information for the secure-access reference documents developed by the Dams Sector, as well as additional resources of importance.
• Physical Security Measures for Levees – Provides information on physical security measures that a levee owner could employ and the factors affecting the selection of those measures.
• Security Awareness for Levee Owners – Provides succinct information on surveillance indicators and incident reporting.

Dams Tools, Resources, and Training

• Anti-Terrorist Planner for Dams – Provides information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pertaining to this software tool, which estimates potential damages to dams and their critical components by conducting simplified damage assessments and analyses based on generic threat scenarios near or at various sections of the dam.
• Dams Sector Consequence-Based Top Screen – Provides information pertaining to the methodology, including how it was developed, its primary purpose, and the Web-based tool though which it is implemented.
• Homeland Security Information Network Dams Portal – Provides information pertaining to the various components within the secure Dams Portal, membership structure, and registration process for new members.
• Dams Sector Web-based Training Courses – Provides information pertaining to the series of Web-based training courses focused on security awareness, protective measures, and crisis management.
• Dams Sector Suspicious Activity Reporting Tool – Provides information regarding the online tool that was established to provide sector stakeholders with the capability to report and retrieve information pertaining to suspicious activities that may potentially be associated with pre-incident surveillance, and those activities related to the exploration or targeting of a specific critical infrastructure facility or system.
• 2010 Dams Sector Exercise Series – Provides information pertaining to the 2010 exercise series, which is being conducted to achieve a greater understanding of the potential impacts associated with significant flooding events along the Green River Valley and to identify those critical infrastructure interdependencies that influence local and regional disruptions.
• National Inventory of Dams – Information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pertaining to the nation’s dams.
• National Dam Safety Program – A FEMA-led program that is a partnership of the states, federal agencies, and other stakeholders to encourage individual and community responsibility for dam safety.

Federal Guidelines and Legislation Concerning Dams

• Federal Guidelines for Dam Safety - These guidelines represent the culmination of efforts to review procedures and criteria used by federal agencies involved in the design, construction, operation, and regulation of dams and to prepare guidelines for management procedures to ensure dam safety.
• Critical Infrastructure Information Act of 2002 (CII Act) (Public Law 107–296) (PDF - 187 pages, 532 KB) - This law facilitates greater sharing of critical infrastructure information among owners and operators of critical infrastructure and government entities with infrastructure protection responsibilities.
• Dam Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-460) (PDF - 2 pages, 33 KB) - This legislation reauthorized the National Dam Safety Program through Fiscal Year 2011.
• Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-114) (PDF - 252 pages, 813 KB) - This law established a National Levee Safety Committee to advise on implementation of a national levee safety program.
• Water Resources and Development Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-303) - This law formally established the National Dam Safety Program, a partnership of the states, federal agencies, and other stakeholders to encourage individual and community responsibility for dam safety.
• Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Public Law 91-173) – This law increases involvement of miners and their representatives in health and safety issues, and also applies to individuals working at retention dams and tailings ponds.