HB 4906 Summary

• Modifies the definition of "dam" to require structures be 6 feet or more in height and meet specific capacity thresholds (5+ surface acres or 15+ acre-feet at design flood elevation) to fall under state regulation.

• Adds new requirements for dam owners to prepare and maintain operations and maintenance records, first-filling plans, surveillance and monitoring plans for high/significant hazard dams, and abandonment plans.

• Changes inspection frequency requirements: high hazard dams from every 3 years to every year; significant hazard dams from every 4 years to every 2 years; with annual submission schedules requiring approximately 1/3 of high hazard, 1/2 of significant hazard, and 1/5 of low hazard dams to submit reports.

• Requires dam owners to prepare emergency action plans for high and significant hazard potential dams, submit plans annually for review to the department and local emergency management, and periodically exercise these plans.

• Expands inspection report requirements to include assessment of hazard potential classification appropriateness, operations and maintenance compliance, risk evaluations, and design/construction/maintenance history reviews for applicable dam types.