About EAPs

EAP Examples

California EAP Form

The California Division of Safety of Dams (CalOES) Dam Safety Program has a state-specific template for dam owners and emergency managers to use in developing EAPs for HHP dams. For more information on the EAP form and its use, contact the CalOES Dam Safety Program.

Some of the kinds of information needed for the California EAP form can be seen in examples developed by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) and USDA.

A Comprehensive EAP

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) has made available a sample of a comprehensive EAP that was prepared for watershed dam in Oklahoma. The contents and level of detail in the sample are similar to what should be found in an California EAP for a HHP dam.

A Simple USDA/NRCS EAP

NRCS provided a simpler EAP for a HHP dam built under its cost-sharing programs. When a dam is originally built as part of a USDA conservation cost-sharing program the dam owner is required to have an EAP. This EAP includes four inundation maps, each showing a segment of the area that would be reached by the wave front if the dam failed. One of these maps is in the Inundation Map Samples section of this website.

In reproducing this EAP with permission of USDA, the name and identifying information about the dam were deleted, as were names, addresses, and phone numbers of persons listed in the notification lists, and signatures of those who received copies of the EAP.

Information helpful in creating a more comprehensive EAP can be found in the brochure Federal Guidelines for Emergency Action Planning for Dams. This document helps dam owners, in coordination with emergency management authorities, effectively develop and test EAPs for dams. Simply having an EAP is a good first step, but it is very important to update the information and notification lists regularly and partner with local Emergency Managers to conduct "exercises" of the EAP to test functionality and identify areas needing improvement.