Staying compliant with dam safety regulations isn’t optional—but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. At Kleinschmidt, we make inspections straightforward, efficient, and actionable—so you can meet regulatory demands while protecting your infrastructure and reputation.

Our FERC-qualified Independent Consultants have conducted hundreds of FERC Part 12 inspections across the U.S., evaluating spillways, gates, foundations, and other critical structures to ensure public safety and regulatory alignment. For our Canadian clients, we provide dam safety reviews in full compliance with Canadian Dam Association (CDA) guidelines—no surprises, no shortcuts.

We bring decades of field-tested expertise and proven processes that prioritize safety, efficiency, and consistency. Our tailored protocols are designed to uncover the correct information, assess your dam’s structural integrity, and provide clear, defensible results you can rely on.

With Kleinschmidt, you don’t just check the box—you gain the insight and support to make informed decisions and maintain full confidence in your dam’s safety.

Dam Safety Inspections and Monitoring Services Include:

• Dam Inspections
• Potential Failure Mode Analysis
• Dam Safety Plans
• Dam Engineering & Design
• Dam Rehabilitation
• Operations & Maintenance
• Construction Services
• Gate Inspection & Analysis
• Spillway Inspections
• Stability Analysis

Assumptions can be costly when it comes to aging infrastructure. That’s why dam and hydropower owners across North America trust Kleinschmidt to deliver clear, data-driven insights that guide smart decisions.

We’ve conducted hundreds of hydropower condition assessments, structural evaluations, and feasibility studies—helping owners understand the actual state of their assets and chart the most cost-effective path forward. Whether you’re planning rehabilitation, resolving persistent leakage, or assessing structural stability, our team brings deep technical expertise and practical know-how.

From crack monitoring programs to root-cause analysis of concrete deterioration, we uncover the issues that matter most—before they become problems. And with a multidisciplinary approach that spans design, inspection, and construction, we ensure that every recommendation is accurate and actionable.

Water Control/Dam Inspection and Design Services Include:

• Condition Assessments
• Feasibility Studies
• Stability Analysis
• Structural Assessments
• Rehabilitation Designs

Are you unsure if your dam gate needs a complete replacement or if a cost-effective repair will do the trick? Wondering what your real options are, how long the work will take, or what it will truly cost to operate and maintain? We’re here to help you find the right answers—and the right solution.

Aging water control gates pose real safety and operational risks. We help dam owners navigate those challenges with confidence. Whether you’re evaluating a retrofit or planning a complete replacement, our team delivers comprehensive inspections, precise analysis, and practical designs tailored to your needs, budget, and schedule.

We understand the complexities of gate rehabilitation, including the unique constraints and opportunities of working on legacy structures. And we bring decades of experience to every project to ensure you get reliable performance, long-term value, and peace of mind.

With Kleinschmidt, you don’t have to make tough decisions alone—we help you move forward with clarity, confidence, and control.

Spillway / Gate Inspection and Design Services Include:

• Field Inspection & Evaluation
• Structural Analysis & Design
• Hoist & Lifting Design
• Hydraulic Design
• Electronic Gate Controls & Communications
• Seal Design
• Gate Heaters

Flood events and extreme weather can quickly turn a dam from a reliable resource into a source of risk. The best defense? A well-informed plan—and a partner who knows how to build it.

At Kleinschmidt, we help dam owners and communities stay prepared. Our expert hydraulic engineers have completed more than 100 Emergency Action Plans (EAPs), 60+ dam breach analyses, and inundation maps. We specialize in translating complex data into clear, actionable insights that help you make informed decisions when it matters most.

By integrating GIS mapping with advanced breach modeling, we deliver easy-to-use, visually intuitive tools that support effective emergency planning, zoning decisions, and real-time response strategies. And we don’t stop at the paperwork—we facilitate EAP functional exercises that bring your plan to life. From community outreach to scenario planning, we ensure everyone—from dam owners to first responders—knows their role and is ready to act.

Emergency Action Plans and Dam Breach Analysis Services Include:

• Preparation of Emergency Action Plans
• Dam Breach Analysis
• Inflow Design Flood Determinations
• Hazard Classification Assessments
• Inundation Mapping
• Owner & Operator Emergency Action Plan Training
• Facilitation & Reporting for Emergency Action Plans
• Planning & Facilitation for Outreach Meetings with Emergency Responders

Our hydraulic engineers provide the full range of hydraulic design services for bridges and culverts. Bridges and culverts are common road features that must be designed to withstand the hydraulic forces from a flood so they won’t cause a flood risk to the surrounding areas. But that’s not their only purpose – they must be designed to work in concert with the aquatic environment, allowing safe migration for resident species and complimenting habitats rather than detracting from them.

We have decades of experience with the hydraulic design for bridges and culverts using Federal Highways and State DOT standards to protect surrounding areas from flooding but also to prevent erosion and scour. Our hydraulic design engineers work in concert with our fish passage and stream restoration specialists to produce environmentally friendly designs that last. In addition, our restoration engineers and scientists can work to incorporate additional habitat features to improve the aquatic environment. We use the latest technologies to predict flood frequencies and we simulate flood conditions using one and two-dimensional hydraulic models.

Kleinschmidt prides itself on being on the cutting edge in bridge and culvert hydraulic analysis and design and actively collaborates with the top researchers in the field to produce modern, accurate, and practical approaches. And we pass along that knowledge to practitioners through regular training courses that cover one and two-dimensional hydraulic modeling of bridges and culverts.

Bridge and Culvert Hydraulic Design Services Include:

• Hydraulic Design
• Flood Risk Analysis
• Stream Restoration
• Habitat Improvement
• Scour Analysis and Countermeasures
• Bank and Channel Stabilization
• FEMA Regulatory Permitting
• Professional Course Instruction

Understanding how water moves through your system is critical to protecting your infrastructure, maintaining compliance, and optimizing performance. That’s where our hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) expertise delivers real value.

We help dam owners and operators across North America make sense of flood risk and water behavior—so you can plan, operate, and respond confidently. We’ve developed site-specific Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) values and updated existing conditions for dozens of projects, refining flood frequency estimates and applying tailored rainfall distributions to suit each site’s unique characteristics.

Our hydraulic engineers routinely perform sophisticated modeling and dam breach analyses to determine Inflow Design Flood (IDF) levels and hazard classifications—key elements in meeting regulatory requirements and protecting downstream communities.

By combining hydrologic and hydraulic modeling, we show you how watershed inputs directly affect your site, from compliance and hazard classification to operational capacity and emergency planning. We use industry-standard tools like HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, FLOW-3D, and our proprietary McBreach software to deliver accurate, actionable results.

With Kleinschmidt, you get more than models—you get the insight to operate smarter, the foresight to plan better, and the tools to stay ahead of risk.

Learn More about McBreach Software

Hydrologic and Hydraulic (H&H) Modeling Services Include:

• Flood Flow Analysis
• Watershed Analysis & Planning
• Hydrologic Analysis
• Hydrologic Modeling & Simulations
• Sediment Transport
• Flood Forecasting
• Dam Design
• Repairs & Safety Assessments
• Hydraulic Analysis & Design
• Hydraulic & Hydrology Training Courses

Whether you’re looking to restore fish passage, reduce liability, or retire aging infrastructure, dam decommissioning is a complex process that demands more than engineering—it requires insight, collaboration, and a clear understanding of environmental, regulatory, and community dynamics.

Over the past 10 years, Kleinschmidt has managed 17 dam decommissioning projects—6 of them FERC-jurisdictional—spanning 35 dams across North America. That includes 6 complete dam removals, 16 feasibility studies, 11 engineering designs, and construction support on 4 projects. We’ve supported more than 30 dam removal efforts across nine U.S. states and one Canadian province, partnering with dam owners, NGOs, government agencies, and private organizations.

Our engineers—specializing in civil, geotechnical, and structural design—focus on dam stability, removability, and fish passage. Our biologists are nationally recognized for their work in aquatic habitat, fluvial geomorphology, water quality, wetlands, and fish migration. And our permitting experts know how to navigate complex NEPA, FERC, state, and federal regulations while building strong relationships with regulatory agencies, conservation partners, and local stakeholders.

When you partner with Kleinschmidt, you’re not just removing a structure—you’re unlocking long-term environmental and community benefits with a team that knows how to get it done right, on time, and with full regulatory confidence.

Dam Decommissioning and Removal Services Include:

• Feasibility Studies including Alternative Analyses
• Species Protection and Mitigation
• Permitting
• Construction Engineering Support
• Aquatic Fisheries and Environmental Resource Studies
• Dam Decommissioning and Stream Stabilization Design
• FERC Decommissioning Plan Development
• Pre/Post Removal Monitoring