Photo By Emily Helton | USACE, Chicago District's Dam Safety Program Manager Dan Ferris helps Detroit district...... read more read more
Dams are among the most vital components of our nation's infrastructure—quietly working behind the scenes to manage water flow, support inland navigation, and reduce devastating floods. When functioning properly, they protect millions of people and billions in property. But as climate extremes intensify and infrastructure ages, the risks of failure grow—making dam safety more critical than ever. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), ensuring these structures remain safe is not just an engineering task—it’s a mission to protect lives. Dan Ferris, Dam Safety Program Manager (DSPM) for the USACE Chicago District, is responsible for ensuring these essential structures continue to operate as designed.
Ferris’s journey to becoming a DSPM began when he became a geotechnical engineer with USACE, Chicago District in 2009. Early on, he was drawn to the complexity and importance of dams and levees, gaining hands-on experience through design work. Later, his involvement deepened while supporting the USACE Detroit District on major projects, including the Fox River dams and Soo Locks.
When district boundaries shifted in 2020, bringing the Fox River dams, Upper Wabash reservoirs, and T.J. O’Brien/Lockport systems under the Chicago District’s area of responsibility, a need arose for a dedicated program manager. This expanded inventory required focused coordination.
A major part of Ferris’s role as DSPM is to evaluate each structure to ensure that features designed into the dam are functioning properly. He coordinates and conducts regular inspections, works closely with operations staff to address potential issues or modifications, and reviews performance instrumentation. Ferris also oversees budgets, leads dam safety training sessions for internal and external partners, and updates Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) to ensure readiness in the event of a crisis.
“If an emergency arises, I would be involved in the response,” Ferris says.
USACE operates and maintains about 740 dams and associated structures nationwide. The Chicago District helps manages 16 of those structures-from De Pere Dam in De Pere, Wisconsin to J. Edward Roush Lake Dam in Huntington, Indiana. Each varying in size and function.
“The Upper Wabash stores water to prevent downstream damages while the Illinois Waterway dams hold water to promote navigation & release water during storms to prevent damage in the Chicagoland area,” Ferris explains. “Indiana Harbor retains ponded dredged sediment, and the Fox River dams regulate Lake Winnebago outflow as it drains to Lake Michigan.”
In May 2020, while working with the Detroit District, Ferris received a call that the State of Michigan had significant dam safety issues.
“The privately owned Edenville Dam breached on 19 May 2020 due to massive rainfall, causing the downstream Sanford Dam to also breach,” says Ferris.
Even though the dam failures resulted in roughly $250M in damages, the outcome could have been worse.
“Luckily the County Emergency Manager had been proactive and called for evacuation of 10,000 people, preventing any loss of life,” Ferris explains.
In the aftermath, the State of Michigan requested assistance from USACE to inspect more than a dozen dams in the Midland area, including what was left of Edenville and Sanford. Several critical issues were discovered, and recommendations were provided to the dam owners.
“It was an important reminder that regular inspections and maintenance are critical to ensure dams can perform as designed, especially during extreme conditions”, Ferris adds.
The National Inventory of Dams (NID) is a resource that provides information about 92,000 dams, both public and private, across the United States, including data on age, height, and the date of the last inspection. The USACE-owned dams have detailed descriptions, identified risks, and inundation maps that help emergency managers plan for potential failure scenarios. The database also includes guidance on how to take action and safeguard yourself before, during, and after dam-related flooding.
When dams function as intended, entire communities are protected—often without realizing the danger they’ve avoided. That silent success is the ultimate goal of dam safety. Ensuring safe operation requires constant monitoring, dedicated funding, and cross-agency collaboration. Being a DSPM means being part engineer, part planner, part communicator, and always placing public safety as the highest priority.
Ferris adds, "I enjoy my job in dam safety because it gives me the opportunity to work directly with the people responsible for operating these unique and vital structures. The lake managers and lockmasters share the same focus on reducing risk to both people and property, and I work to strengthen that common goal every time we connect."
For more information about the USACE Dam Safety Program check here: https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Dam-Safety-Program/
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.30.2025 13:53 |
| Story ID: | 499283 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 54 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Behind the Dams: How the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Protects Lives and Infrastructure, by Emily Helton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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