Hartford, Conn.-based USEngineering Solutions unveiled on June 23 a national system to detect incidents that could imperil nearly 12,000 dams across the country. It integrates multiple data streams, including sensors and national seismic and meteorologic data, to issue alerts when heavy storms or earthquakes threaten any dam in the system.
After years of development and testing, DamWatch is live and incorporating all the dams in 47 states that are "federally assisted" by the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service. The NRCS helps local public entities, such as conservation districts and municipalities, plan, design and construct water-control projects. NRCS then advises the owners and sponsors on management and maintenance.
