How does a homeowner find a dam inspector in NJ? (2025 Update)

Buck, Seifert & Jost, Inc., Norwood, NJ

Contact: Mr. Ronald M. Von Autenried, P.E., President Buck, Seifert & Jost, Inc. PO Box 415

army corps of engineers should tell you how to deal with water on the property, or where to find someone to look at it. in az they're the ones to go to if you have questions on the running of water in washes on your property.

regards, charlie cave creek, az

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Some comments --

A hydraulic engineer is a specialized civil engineer. That is what I was before my retirement some years ago. I will provide some comments in no particular order.

1. I doubt that pipe through a 10' embankment is only 5' long. I will assume it is much longer.

1. The surface area of the pond is about one-fifth of an acre. Assuming an average depth of 5', a failure of the embankment could flood an acre of land only 1' deep. Unless there are significant structures, houses, etc., downstream, the risks are pretty small.

2. One of the two principal failure modes for earthen dams is seepage under the embankment. Consider the number of years it has been in place. These failures usually show up shortly after the water is impounded. To inspect for problems, you look for damp soil or flowing springs below the dam. Small flows of *clear water* generally indicate a stable (safe) condition. Muddy flows indicate active erosion of the substrate of the dam and potential failure.

1. The other principal failure mode is spillway inadequacy. A spillway is usually provided to bypass sudden storm inflows that are too large for the normal outlet (that 1' pipe). It may be as simple as a sodded channel around the end of the embankment. Without a spillway, water might overflow the embankment causing a sudden spill of the water in the pond.

2. There are thousands of such small dams and ponds around the country. Many have been designed by the Soil Conservation Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. They usually are of simple design appropriate to their use and locale. The local office may (or may not) be able to help in evaluating the design of the outlet and spillway.

1. Some states require a permit before constructing such a pond. If so, there may be construction drawings on file. It is very likely that a search will show that the structure was never registered and you may be required to do that after the fact.

2. It seems you may be overly concerned for the soundness of this small structure. But -- and a big "but" -- I know nothing of the area downstream from the structure and I know nothing of the neighbors who may have a concern. If there is a real concern about the structure, it would be a simple matter to cut a trench through the embankment and let the pond drain.

SJF

On 6 Apr 2005 14:13:21 -0700, "Cdon" scribbled this interesting note:

The local extension office is not a municipal concern, rather it is a State concern. At least here in Texas.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

On 6 Apr 2005 14:13:21 -0700, "Cdon" scribbled this interesting note:

That means that in Colorado the rights of the people downstream are more important than those upstream. I've been told by an attorney who lived in Colorado at the time that you can't even catch rain water in a cistern!

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

We have lots of Damn inspectors here in South Carolina. Want us to send you some?! :-)

Stretch

(Sorry, I couldn't help myself! The inspectors here are really very nice!! :-) )

I would go to a local farm supply store and ask there. If they don't know, they would know where to find the answer.

My experience comes from my purchasing a landlocked lot having a springhouse upon it, adjacent to my parcel a few years back...in SW Wa.....

It had been used by the family whose heirs had filed the original donation land claim a few generations prior for irrigating some bottom lands for farming....but the pipeline hadn't been actually used since the early

The agreement was actually written by myself, then reviewed by an attorney....If I recall correctly, the agreement called for him to relinquish all rights to said water excepting I was to do nothing to cause the water to flow in a different direction than it currently followed....

In the Morris County (Morristown is the county seat) phone book, there is a listing for Apgar Associates under Civil Engineers. They list their services as Engineers, Surveyors, etc. and also include Dam and Bridges. Phone is

Dams are usually regulated by a State agency, rather than the city or county. Check with your State: Department of Water Resources or something similar.

I might try contacting a few "landscape Architects" which should be in the yellow pages and if that fails, try your NJ state contractors licensing board (or equivelent, whatever the actual name) to see what certification is required for that type of work and search for contractors with that license.

"Cdon" wrote in news:1112812989.417760.279860 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

Start here -

k@t

The Three Gorges dam in China? Not sure if that's a concrete or earth dam, but insanely huge.

-S

Does NJ have the chinese mitton crab? We have them out here in the SF bay area in California, those little guys love to burrow into levees and weaken them. Check with your local wildlife agency to make sure they aren't a problem in NJ yet.

Add an "N". As in damN inspector. You'll get much better results. I always hear people complaining about that damN inspector, but have never heard anyone talking about a dam inspector. Once you get any kind of inspector on your property, they all become a damN inspector. As in "I wish that damn inspector would leave, he's already cost me a fortune and now he expects me to _________ and __________ and __________".

Mark

To return to the original question 8-)

In UK there are specialist inspectors for dams, and these will be registered as such with the ICE (the UK professional engineers association). I suspect that the American association would have a similar scheme, or at least ought to know who the particular specialists are. If you can find the person - he will undertake the inspection, either individually or as a representative of his company (more likely)

Keith

Also

--Goedjn

Eisenhower 

The Hirakud Dam, on the Mahanadi at Sambalpur?