HB610 Alabama 2014 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mary Sue McClurkinCity Council

Republican

Co-Sponsors

Kurt WallaceMike Hill

Session

Regular Session 2014

Title

Dam Safety, Office of Water Resources to regulate dams and reservoirs

Summary

HB610 creates a comprehensive state dam-safety program run by the Office of Water Resources, with engineer-led design, emergency planning, inspections, penalties, and new funding to regulate all Alabama dams and reservoirs.

What This Bill Does

The bill transfers primary dam regulation to the Office of Water Resources and sets statewide rules for building, changing, repairing, operating, abandoning, or removing dams. It requires plans and work to be signed and sealed by licensed engineers, establishes an emergency action planning framework for high- and significant-hazard dams, and creates funding mechanisms (Emergency Dam Repair Fund and Dam Rehabilitation Loan Program) to finance safety improvements. It also creates inspection, reporting, and enforcement provisions, including civil penalties and potential court actions for violations, and requires fees and annual registrations for existing and new dams.

Who It Affects

• Dam owners and operators (including state and local government agencies, municipalities, public utilities, districts, and private individuals) who must obtain office approvals, pay filing and annual fees, maintain records, implement emergency action plans, and may access loan funds for rehabilitation.
• Public safety, emergency management authorities, and local governments, which will benefit from standardized dam safety oversight, mandated emergency action planning, coordinated notifications, and the office’s authority to take action to protect life and property during emergencies.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Office of Water Resources as the statewide regulator for all dams and reservoirs, with procedures for construction, alteration, repair, operation, abandonment, and removal, administered by a licensed engineer.
• Defines key terms (dam, reservoir, appurtenant works, certificate of approval to impound, emergency action plan, hazard potential categories, etc.) to guide regulation.
• Requires applications and design plans signed and sealed by a licensed engineer for new construction, enlargement, reconstruction, repair, alteration, or removal, with deadlines, fees, inspections, and approval processes.
• Mandates emergency action plans for high and significant hazard dams, detailing components such as notification, inundation maps, responsibilities, preparedness, and appendices, and requires office review and approval.
• Gives the office authority to investigate, inspect, and enforce compliance, including public hearings, temporary orders, civil penalties up to 25,000 per violation per day, and criminal penalties for violations.
• Creates an Emergency Dam Repair Fund and a Dam Rehabilitation Loan Program to fund remedial measures, rehabilitation, and related costs, with revolving funding, loan terms up to 20 years, and conditions for security interests and repayment.
• Requires dam owners to maintain records, report annually on maintenance and engineering data, and cooperate with office staff; continuous on-site engineering representation during construction.
• Imposes fees for filing, inspections, and annual registrations; provides exemptions and adjustment rules for certain dams; requires refunds only under specific conditions if applications are canceled before start of work.
• Authorizes the office to revoke or suspend certificates to impound, order repairs or removal, and require emergency actions; provides due process and public hearing rights before revocation.
• Pre-existing dams subject to this act must file timely applications; dams near completion at enactment have special fee considerations; certain 90% complete projects may be exempt from fees but still require application approvals.
• Repeals conflicting laws and sets the act's effective date as the first day of the third month after passage and governor approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Office of Water Resources