Ariz. Admin. Code § R12-15-1217 - Maintenance and Repair; Emergency Actions

A. An owner shall perform general maintenance and ordinary repairs that do not impair the safety of the dam. General maintenance and ordinary repair activities listed under this subsection do not require prior approval of the Director. These repair activities include:

1. Removing brush or tall weeds.

2. Cutting trees and removing slash from the embankment or spillway. Small stumps may be removed provided no excavation into the embankment occurs.

3. Exterminating rodents by trapping or other methods. Rodent damage may be repaired provided it does not involve excavation that extends more than 2 feet into the embankment and replacement materials are compacted as they are placed.

4. Repairing erosion gullies less than 2 feet deep on the embankment or in the spillway.

5. Grading the surface on the top of the dam embankment or spillway to eliminate potholes and provide proper drainage, provided the freeboard is not reduced.

6. Placing additional riprap and bedding on the upstream slope, or in the spillway in areas that have sustained minor damage and restoring the original riprap protection where the damage has not yet resulted in erosion and weakening of the dam.

7. Painting, caulking, or lubricating metal structures.

8. Patching or caulking spalled or cracked concrete to prevent deterioration.

9. Removing debris, rock, or earth from outlet conduits or spillway channels and basins.

10. Patching to prevent deterioration within outlet works.

11. Replacing worn or damaged parts on outlet valves or controls to restore them to original condition or its equivalent.

12. Repairing or replacing fences intended to keep traffic or livestock off the dam or spillway.

B. General maintenance and ordinary repair that may impair or adversely effect safety, such as excavation into or near the toe of the dam, construction of new appurtenant structures for the dam, and repair of damage that has already significantly weakened the dam shall be performed in accordance with this Article. The Director may approve maintenance performed according to a standard detail or method of repair on file with the Department upon submittal of a letter. The Director shall determine whether general maintenance and ordinary repair activities not listed in subsection (A) will impair safety.

C. Emergency actions not impairing the safety of the dam may be taken before guidance can be provided by an engineer and do not require prior approval of the Director. Emergency actions do not excuse an owner's responsibility to promptly undertake a permanent solution. Emergency actions include:

1. Stockpiling materials such as riprap, earth fill, sand, sandbags, and plastic sheeting.

2. Lowering the reservoir level by making releases through the outlet or a gated spillway, by pumping, or by siphoning.

3. Armoring eroded areas by placing sandbags, riprap, plastic sheeting, or other available material.

4. Plugging leakage entrances on the upstream slope.

5. Increasing freeboard by placing sandbags or temporary earth fill on the dam.

6. Diverting flood waters to prevent them from entering the reservoir basin.

7. Constructing training berms to control flood waters.

8. Placing sandbag ring dikes or reverse filter materials around boils at the downstream toe to provide back pressure.

9. Removing obstructions from outlet or spillway flow areas.

D. Emergency actions impairing the safety of the dam require prior approval of the Director. An owner shall not lower the water level by excavating the spillway or embankment unless failure is imminent.

E. For all high and significant hazard potential dams, the emergency action plan shall be implemented with any emergency actions taken at the dam.

F. The owner shall notify the Director immediately of any emergency condition that exists and any emergency action taken.

Notes

Ariz. Admin. Code § R12-15-1217

New Section adopted by final rulemaking at 6 A.A.R. 2558, effective June 12, 2000 (Supp. 00-2).