Dams Sector: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources

Sector Overview

The Dams Sector comprises the assets, systems, networks, and functions related to dam projects, navigation locks, levees, hurricane barriers, mine tailings impoundments, or other similar water retention and/or control facilities. The Dams Sector is a vital and beneficial part of the nation’s infrastructure and continuously provides a wide range of economic, environmental, and social benefits, including hydroelectric power, river navigation, water supply, wildlife habitat, waste management, flood control, and recreation.

The Dams Sector has dependencies and interdependencies with a wide range of other sectors, including:

• The Agriculture and Food Sector, as a continued source of water for irrigation and water management;
• The Transportation Systems Sector uses dams and locks to manage navigable waters throughout inland waterways;
• The Water Sector, by supplying potable water to concentrated populations and commercial facilities in the U.S.;
• The Energy Sector, by providing approximately 8 to 12 percent of the nation’s power needs with hydropower dams; and
• The Emergency Services Sector, which relies on Dams Sector assets for firefighting water supply, emergency water supply, and waterborne access in the event of a significant disaster.

Read the Dams Sector Snapshot (PDF, 2 pages - 512 KB)