A Dam Conversation With...

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast highlighting the people, projects, and stories shaping dam safety today. 
In this episode, we discuss the Kelly Barnes Dam Failure. 
The Kelly Barnes Dam was a 38-foot-high earth-fill dam built atop a rock crib dam, located just north of Toccoa Falls Bible College in Stephens County, Georgia. Downstream of the dam was Toccoa Falls, a 186-foot waterfall, and beyond that was the college. Between the 2nd and 5th of November, 1977 the dam watershed received over 3 inches of rainfall, followed by an additional 3.5 inches on the 5th and 6th of November. The dam was inspected at 11:30 P.M. on November 5 and appeared to be stable. However, just two hours later, at 1:30 A.M. on November 6, the dam failed. The failure drew national attention and it was a turning point for dam safety awareness in the U.S. 
Resources discussed in this episode:
Foster, K. Neill with Eric Mills. Dam Break in Georgia – Sadness and Joy at Toccoa Falls. 1978.
USGS South Atlantic Science Center. The 1977 Toccoa Flood, Report of Failure of Kelly Barnes Dam Flood and Findings. 2025.
ASDSO’s Damfailures.org – Great resource to learn more about dam failures
ASDSO’s Damtoolbox.org – Great knowledgebase for dam safety 
We want to hear from you!
Have questions for our guests? Want to suggest a topic? Email us at [[email protected]] – we’d love to hear from you!
Get Involved with ASDSO
👷 Membership Benefits – Joining ASDSO gives you access to:
✅ Member discounts on training and products
✅ Unlimited access to ASDSO conference papers
✅ Online member directory
✅ Surveys archive & Journal of Dam Safety
👉 Become a Member: https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member
🤝 Join a Committee or Interest Group – https://damsafety.org/VolunteerOpps
📚 Upcoming Training Opportunities – Browse live and on-demand webinars, seminars, and past sessions: https://damsafety.org/training-center 
📢 This program is copyrighted in 2026 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. All rights reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. Your host for this episode is Nicole Mathis, P.E. 
In this episode, we welcome Phoebe Percell-Dantes Taureau, an expert in Risk Management and Program Management for the two largest dam safety programs in the world. She served as Deputy Director for the Office of Security, Safety, and Law Enforcement at the US Bureau of Reclamation and Chief of the Dam and Levee Safety Branch at the US Army Corp of Engineers, and in her current role she uses her expertise in dam & levee safety, security and emergency management to advise dam owners on the best path forward for their challenges. She has experienced dam safety through many lenses, in her design work at the technical service center, as office director, as a senior advisor for private consulting, and as an advocate for dams & levees on Capitol Hill.      
Phoebe, thank you for sharing your story and advice on career insights for engineers at all levels. 
Book Recommendations from This Episode
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by John M. Barry
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger 
We want to hear from you!
Have questions for our guests? Want to suggest a topic? Email us at [[email protected]] – we’d love to hear from you!
Get Involved with ASDSO
👷 Membership Benefits – Joining ASDSO gives you access to:
✅ Member discounts on training and products
✅ Unlimited access to ASDSO conference papers
✅ Online member directory
✅ Surveys archive & Journal of Dam Safety
👉 Become a Member: https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member
🤝 Join a Committee or Interest Group – https://damsafety.org/VolunteerOpps
📚 Upcoming Training Opportunities – Browse live and on-demand webinars, seminars, and past sessions: https://damsafety.org/training-center 
📢 This program is copyrighted in 2026 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. All rights reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. Your host for this episode is Matt Marquis, P.E. 
In this episode, we welcome Preston Wilson, CEO of Resilient Solutions Consulting, focused on building community resilience and mitigating the impact of disasters by offering training and expertise to individuals and communities to help them prepare for emergencies and navigate crises with confidence. With over 20 years of federal experience, Preston is a compassionate and accomplished civil engineer with 15 years of field experience and specialized expertise in emergency management. He has assisted with or facilitated dam incident exercises nationwide and provided emergency management response during dam incidents across multiple states and U.S. territories.       
Preston, thank you for sharing your story and advice on career insights and technical expertise for engineers at all levels. 
Key Takeaways from This Episode
Matt and Preston discuss:
Making tough career choices and the lasting impacts 
How resilience is defined in Dam Safety 
Overcoming imposter syndrome in emergency management 
Why we do what we do, and why it matters to our stakeholders
We want to hear from you!
Have questions for our guests? Want to suggest a topic? Email us at [[email protected]] – we’d love to hear from you!
Get Involved with ASDSO
👷 Membership Benefits – Joining ASDSO gives you access to:
✅ Member discounts on training and products
✅ Unlimited access to ASDSO conference papers
✅ Online member directory
✅ Surveys archive & Journal of Dam Safety
👉 Become a Member: https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member
🤝 Join a Committee or Interest Group – https://damsafety.org/VolunteerOpps
📚 Upcoming Training Opportunities – Browse live and on-demand webinars, seminars, and past sessions: https://damsafety.org/training-center 
📢 This program is copyrighted in 2026 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. All rights reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. Your host for this episode is Silas Sanderson, P.E. 
In this episode, we welcome Sharon Tapia, PE, PMP, Dams Practice Lead at GEI. She has worked in multiple capacities related to dam safety and business operations in California for over 30 years. She brings an understanding of all the disciplines associated with dams and dam safety, with expertise in hydraulics, hydrology, structural, geotechnical engineering, and risk evaluation. Sharon holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of California Davis. She has served on various national boards including the board of directors for ASDSO and FEMA’s National Dam Safety Review Board. She is also a past president of ASDSO. 
Sharon, thank you for sharing your story and advice on career insights and technical expertise for engineers at all levels. 
Key Takeaways from This Episode
Silas and Sharon discuss:
Why Costco might be the best place to secure an internship
Comparing a career in the public versus private sectors
What to do at your first ASDSO Conference
Making the transition from individual contributor to manager
What it’s like to be a regulator for the largest state dam safety program in the country
We want to hear from you!
Have questions for our guests? Want to suggest a topic? Email us at [[email protected]] – we’d love to hear from you!
Get Involved with ASDSO
👷 Membership Benefits – Joining ASDSO gives you access to:
✅ Member discounts on training and products
✅ Unlimited access to ASDSO conference papers
✅ Online member directory
✅ Surveys archive & Journal of Dam Safety
👉 Become a Member: https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member
🤝 Join a Committee or Interest Group – https://damsafety.org/VolunteerOpps
📚 Upcoming Training Opportunities – Browse live and on-demand webinars, seminars, and past sessions: https://damsafety.org/training-center 
📢 This program is copyrighted in 2025 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. All rights reserved.

This is an Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) podcast sharing the stories of leaders and innovators in the dam safety community. Your host for this episode is Nicole Chiles, P.E.
Today, Nicole welcomed Bill Bingham, P.E., who has led the design of more than 250 new dams and major rehabilitations with over 55 years of experience. Bill has also served on the peer review teams for 28 State Dam Safety programs and many others while he chaired the Peer Review Committee from 1989 to 2011 and afterwards.
Bill, thank you for your stories and advice!
Follow us as we explore more dam safety topics at damsafety.org
Get Involved!
Association Membership
In addition to free resources for the Dam Safety community, membership with ASDSO provides the following list of benefits and more! Follow this link to join! https://www.damsafety.org/basic-page/become-member  
Member discounts on all training and products
Unlimited access to full ASDSO conference papers
Online member directory
Miscellaneous surveys archive
Journal of Dam Safety 
Committee Membership
Consider joining one of the many ASDSO committees and Interest Groups. Find the full list at the following link:  Committees and Interest Groups | Association of State Dam Safety
Upcoming Training Opportunities
Find upcoming training opportunities, including on-demand webinars, live webinars, seminars, and past content in the Training Center! Training Center | Association of State Dam Safety
ASDSO Toolbox
The ASDSO Toolbox (www.damtoolbox.org) is intended to be a one-stop shop for current guidelines and regulations of the dam safety industry. The content is growing, but we need your help to further the momentum! Consider volunteering as a moderator, proposing new content, or suggesting additional resources. 
This program was copyrighted in 2025 by the Association of State Dam Safety Officials with All Rights Reserved.