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Overview
Forums for building dam safety technical capacity, communication, cooperation and collaboration ensure that industry best practices are understood and applied effectively. Alberta Dam Safety encourages sharing technical information between Alberta’s dam owners, regulators and industry professionals.
Upcoming events
2025-26 Alberta Government and Canadian Dam Association Dam Safety Technical Webinar Series
In partnership with the Canadian Dam Association, Alberta’s government organized the 4th annual technical webinar series highlighting practical applications and case studies of evolving dam safety practices and advanced technologies for water dams. This series is intended for dam owners, engineers, engineering technologists, operators and regulators who are interested in learning from the experiences of other professionals.
February 19, 2026 – Reservoir Initial Filling: Preparation, Implementation and Lessons Learned
The initial reservoir filling is one of the highest-risk periods in a dam’s lifecycle, as the structure is subjected to near full design loads for the first time. A significant proportion of dam incidents and failures occurred during this stage, underscoring the need for comprehensive planning, robust surveillance and clearly defined operational and emergency procedures.
This webinar will outline the essential components of a safe and effective filling strategy, including pre-construction planning, coordinated reservoir filling operations and the implementation of a risk-informed instrumentation and monitoring program. Case studies of both successful and unsuccessful impoundments will illustrate lessons learned – demonstrating how strong governance, realistic planning, effective monitoring and timely decision-making can prevent failures and improve overall project outcomes.
Attendees will gain practical insights into how owners, operators and regulators can optimize planning, surveillance and emergency readiness to ensure a safe and well-managed first filling event.
Presenters:
- Tim Little, P.Eng.
- Greg Snyder, FEC, P.Eng.
- Kris Matusiewicz, P.Eng.
- Mamun Al-Mamun, M.Sc. Eng., P.Eng.
Registration opens soon via the Canadian Dam Association.
March 25, 2026 – Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics, Including Filter Design for Earthen Dams (Part 1)
Details coming soon.
April 8, 2026 – Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics, Including Filter Design for Earthen Dams (Part 2)
Details coming soon.
Past events
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Dam and canal safety