Dam safety compliance

New York dam safety requirements

NYSDEC Dam Safety Program — what a private owner actually has to do, and when.

Frequently asked questions

When is a New York dam's annual certification due?

31 January every year — but only for dams classified Intermediate or High hazard under 6 NYCRR Part 673. Low-hazard and unclassified dams have no annual certification to file.

Which New York dams actually have to file?

Only dams NYSDEC classifies Intermediate or High hazard. Dam-Smart's own due-date computation reflects this directly — a dam outside those two classes correctly shows no filing date rather than a fabricated one. Look up your dam to see whether this deadline actually applies to it, rather than assuming it does.

How often must a New York dam owner inspect their own dam?

Quarterly self-inspection is recommended for Intermediate and High hazard dams, in addition to whatever inspection schedule NYSDEC itself runs for that hazard class — a hybrid Georgia's and North Carolina's fully owner-driven models don't have. Dam-Smart's inspection tool captures this with GPS-tagged checkpoints from your phone — crest, both slopes, spillway, toe, outlet, seepage — building a dated record over time.

How to self-inspect a small dam

Dam-Smart's inspection tool walks through six checkpoints, the same order a formal engineer inspection follows:

  1. Crest — walk the full length of the crest, checking for cracking, settlement, or unusual vegetation.
  2. Upstream slope — check the upstream slope for erosion, slumping, or animal burrows.
  3. Downstream slope — check the downstream slope for seepage, wet areas, or sinkholes.
  4. Spillway — confirm the spillway is clear of debris and vegetation and free to pass flow.
  5. Outlet works / drains — check outlet works and drains for blockage, damage, or unusual flow.
  6. Instrumentation — read and record any installed instrumentation, such as piezometers or staff gauges, where present.

Sourced from 6 NYCRR Part 673 and NYSDEC's own Dam Safety Annual Certification materials. See NYSDEC Dam Safety Forms for the primary source. This page is informational, not legal advice — verify current requirements with NYSDEC directly.

Compare filing deadlines in all eight states

Requirements for other states: Connecticut · Georgia · Massachusetts · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Wisconsin