
TVA Dam Safety
Dam Safety a 24/7/365 Priority
TVA Dam Safety teams protect lives and property by ensuring our dams are designed, constructed, operated and maintained for safety and reliability.
TVA's Dam Safety program covers more than 140 structures, including 91 listed on the National Inventory of Dams. These include:
- 29 power-generating dams
- Racoon Mountain pumped storage
- 19 dams designed primarily for flood control and recreation
- Structures such as dikes and saddle dams
To manage all these, TVA has established a multi-year Dam Safety Assurance Program which includes inspections, independent reviews, maintenance, and repairs to ensure dams comply with safety standards and are better able to protect people and property. TVA has invested over $1 billion in dam safety projects since 2010.
Dam safety inspectors perform structural field testing at Fontana Dam.
Managing Risk
TVA's dams generate electric power and allow for navigation along the Tennessee River system. These dams also provide flood control. TVA dams have helped avert more $9.7 billion in flood damage to the region since the 1930s.
TVA conducts dam inspections monthly to assess the general condition of the dam. Detailed inspections occur every 12-15 months, and thorough investigations take place every five years or after significant weather or seismic events.
While dams help keep us safe, they do not eliminate the risk of flooding. Heavy rains can exceed a reservoir's storage capacity, with large amounts of water released downstream. Though unlikely, flood waters could overtop a dam, or the dam could breach due to an undetected deficiency—posing a risk for life and property.
TVA maintains contingency plans for all its dams and works closely with emergency management teams to prepare for the unlikely event of a dam failure. TVA Dam Safety teams regularly conduct emergency exercises, partnering with Emergency Management Agencies, state and local officials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and others to help protect people in an emergency.
Contact your local emergency management agency to learn more about the extent of flooded areas in the unlikely event of a dam failure.
Comprehensive inspections evaluate every part of a dam structure.
A Leader in Safety
TVA is a national leader in dam safety. We regularly host or participate in regional and national conferences presented by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), the Center for Energy Advancement through Technological Innovation (CEATI), the U.S. Society on Dams (USSD) and other leading organizations related to dam safety.
For more information about dam safety, please visit the National Dam Safety Program, or contact your local county Emergency Management Agency.