A review finds several thousand dams across Texas apparently have not been inspected by state regulators.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's dam safety program monitors and regulates more than 7,500 private and public dams in Texas. It includes periodic inspection of dams that pose a high or significant hazard, plus recommendations to dam owners to help them maintain safe sites.
Program coordinator Warren Samuelson told News 8 Austin that officials make sure dams are properly constructed, maintained and operated. Samuelson said most of the dams that have not been inspected are considered "low hazard."
News 8 Austin, using a Texas Open Records request for TCEQ data, determined more than 4,600 dams have no record of being inspected.
TCEQ spokeswoman Lisa Wheeler said the agency's inventory is up to date. She said there are no known inspections for dams before the dates listed as being the last inspection date.
Wheeler said for dams where there is no inspection date listed, there is no inspection on record.
