Guidelines for Creating a State Dam Safety Page
State Dam Safety pages provide a platform for each state dam safety program to share information specific to working on dams in their state. This can include references to specific state statutes related to dams, any rules promulgated by the state related to dams, and any specific guidelines published by the agency. A link to the landing page for the state agency on DamSafety.org should be included. That landing page has contact information and a link to the actual agency website which is updated regularly and need not be duplicated on the Dam Toolbox page.
The purpose of these pages is to be an easy point of access to relevant information for engineers and other regulators to learn the nuances of working on dams in states they aren't familiar with. Sharing information and approaches to effective methods of regulation and program management should help to foster innovation and minimize duplication of efforts.
Headings should generally be organized by level of authority. For example, Statutes should be listed first, Rules promulgated in accordance with the statutory authority listed second, and Guidelines or Technical Memos published by the agency which are not subject to any public hearing or review should be listed last. Links to the agency's YouTube channel or other social media platforms can also be shared.
Typical State Page Content
At a minimum, a State Page will include the State Name and introductory text (e.g., Department/Division of State Gov't). A thoroughly developed State Page may include any and all of the following content:
- State Page Title
- Breadcrumb Menu Navigation Links
- Introductory Paragraph (typically 100 to 500 words in length)
- Dam Safety Program Logo & Interesting Photo (for visual identification and aesthetic purposes)
- Statutes that govern the regulation of dams in the state
- Recommend a link to an external page where the most current statutes are published/hosted (e.g., LexisNexis)
- Learn how to create internal and external links
- Regulations that are promulgated in accordance with state statutes. These typically require a public review/comment phase prior to publication.
- Recommend creating a link to an external page to contain the latest regulations. This can be updated as rules are revised.
- Learn how to create a New Other Resource Page
- Learn how to create internal and external links
- Learn how to create icons for document, website, and video hyperlinks
- Guidance Documents that are applicable for working in the state. These are classified as "Other Resources" since they may not be as thoroughly vetted as best practices documents, but are still valuable resources for engineers working on a dam in the state or for other regulatory agencies that may be looking for examples. Examples include guidance documents and tools developed by state dam safety agencies for performing hazard classification evaluations, hydrology studies, sub-surface investigation plans, seismic hazard assessments, seepage/slope stability evaluations, etc.
- List of Trainings that are offered by the state. Examples include dam owner trainings and include recorded webinars, presentations, etc.
- Other Links (Optional)
- YouTube Channel Links or other Social Media Links
- Learn how to create internal and external links
- Revision History should be included at the bottom of every page.
New State Page Template Code
The following template code should be copied and pasted into the editor when creating a new State Page to facilitate the process of creating, formatting, and reviewing new content. Contributors should add or delete sections, pictures, and code as necessary for a specific topic.
<!-- Default code to remove table of contents and add line break at top of page -->
__NOTOC__
<!-- Add Category to drive breadcrumb menus -->
[[Category:Undefined]]
----
<!-- Insert image using {{Picture}} template -->
{{Picture
<!-- Add image file name (ex.image.jpg) -->
|image= 1.jpg
<!--Add link if applicable -->
|link=
<!-- Add picture caption -->
|caption= This is a dam.
}}
<!-- Introductory paragraph or topic page summary -->
{{Website Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [https://damsafety.org/StateName ASDSO's Summary Page for StateName]
Paragraph text
== Statutes ==
{{Website Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
== Rules ==
{{Website Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
<!-- To facilitate updates to the website, do not include the year/date of a reference listed here in the Best Practices Resources section. -->
== Guidance Documents ==
{{Website Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
{{Video Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
{{Document Icon}} [[Page Name | Title, Author]]
== Other Resources ==
{{Website Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
{{Video Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
{{Document Icon}} [[Page Name | Title, Author]]
== Trainings ==
{{Website Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
{{Video Icon}} <!-- External Link Format --> [ExternalURL Displayed Text]
{{Document Icon}} [[Page Name | Title, Author]]
<!-- Citations will automatically populate if instructions on the "Guidelines for Inserting a Citation" are followed. -->
{{Citations}}
<!-- Revision history information -->
{{revhistinf}}
Revision ID: 7807
Revision Date: 02/07/2024