Recent emergency in California reinforces urgency for action in this state
THE COUNTY LINE
Sonny Brasfield Executive Director
Leadership will be needed to address Alabama ’ s problem with dam safety
Recent emergency in California reinforces urgency for action in this state
6 | COUNTY COMMISSION
It ' s a long way from Oroville to Montgomery . Almost 2,500 miles to be exact . But it didn ' t take long for the news of the evacuation of almost 200,000 people to travel the distance from Northern California and make us stand at attention back in mid-February . When the nation ' s tallest dam was in peril – as its spillway eroded under pounding rainstorms and those below the dam were threatened with a 30-foot wall of water – my thoughts instantly returned to failed efforts to establish a dam safety program here in Alabama .
On the heels of the breach of a small dam in Shelby County , a few organizations came together back in 2014 and kicked around the idea of passing legislation to establish a dam inspection program in Alabama . As the only state in the nation without some kind of program , the reaction to the Oroville threat was predictable and appropriate .
Yet , today , there is no statewide inventory of dams in Alabama , no standards for quality construction and no requirement for regular evaluation . Yep , it ’ s a long way from Oroville to Montgomery .
Back in February , The Montgomery Advertiser reported on the state ' s unfortunate distinction , citing several sources to make the point . The American Society of Civil Engineers stated in 2015 that information on Alabama dams is " incomplete " and a similar evaluation from the Association of State Dam Safety Officials pointed out that the " condition of most dams in Alabama is unknown ," the newspaper said .
In fact , only the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers has any decent information on the
Alabama situation , the story reported . The Corps estimates that Alabama has more than 2,200 dams and that only 2 percent – or less than 50 of them – are inspected . And those undergo review only because they meet federal regulatory tests and are subject to federally-required annual inspections and the development of emergency action plans .
The threat in Oroville was real . But tragedy was avoided as the dam eventually held its ground , despite significant damage to both the main and bare slope spillways . As the tallest dam in America , the aftermath of a complete failure is almost beyond our imaginations .
A couple of days later , my phone rang early one morning and the familiar voice on the other end of the phone began to express concern about Alabama ' s lack of review of the dams that dot our state ' s landscape . As both a state and national leader among county engineers , his voice always demands attention with those who shape public policy . And he was concerned .
Together we recounted that unsuccessful effort back in 2014 , a movement pushed along initially because of a dam breach in his area . As the unified voice for county government in Alabama , the Association and a team of county engineers were participants in that initiative . Honestly , we failed to take on a real leadership role for a variety of reasons . And , without a catalyst for change , the legislative effort failed to gain any momentum .
Right now , in the midst of the 2017 legislative session , it seems a bit distracting to start thinking about a piece of legislation that isn ’ t even on the drawing board . Admittedly , the issues surrounding counties right now