April is Low-Head Dam Public Safety Awareness Month in Virginia

RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation is supporting April Low-Head Dam Public Safety Awareness Month to encourage Virginians to protect themselves from the dangers associated with these structures.

A low-head dam is a dam that runs from bank-to-bank, typically with a low height, across a river or stream. Water pouring over the dam creates a hazardous current termed a “spin cycle” like that of a washing machine that can trap even the strongest swimmer wearing a flotation device. Once caught in a spin cycle, it is almost impossible to escape.

“Every year, these deceptively dangerous dams claim lives and pose an ongoing risk to boaters, swimmers and fishers throughout Virginia,” said Mark Killgore, DCR’s lead dam safety engineer. “Low-head dams are called ‘drowning machines’ for a reason. Over 1,000 people have died in incidents at low-head dams in the United States in the past few decades.”

You can take the following steps to protect yourself:  

• Know before you go: check your route, read maps, talk to locals and obey signage. 
• Watch for a smooth horizon line where the stream meets the sky and look for concrete retaining walls on either side of the water. These could be signs of a low-head dam.  
• If you spot a dam, exit the river and reenter well downstream. 
• Never try to dive in to help someone caught in a spin cycle. Exit the river and call 911. Use a rope or throw bag to pull them to safety.  

Killgore added, “the only escape may be crawling along the river bottom and surfacing well downstream of the dam.”

For more information about low-head dams, visit https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/ds-education.  

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