OVERVIEW OF EVENT

Join your colleagues for an event focused on comparing best practices in dam safety and engineering across countries in the western hemisphere. This will be a 3-day event that will be a combination of technical presentations, site tours, exhibits, networking, and camaraderie.

This event will offer a Guest Registration option, which provides your accompanying guest access to dinner and entertainment on Tuesday and Wednesday nights only. Your guests may also find suggestions for group excursions they can book on their own.

VENUE INFORMATION
Wyndam Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort
6000 Rio Mar Blvd, Rio Grande, 00745
Book Reservations:
 * Online:
 * By Phone: By Phone: 800-474-6627 (Please reference International Symposium on Safety of Dams when calling)
There is no contracted government rate however we have negotiated to have the Resort fee, $44/per room per night, waived.
Guests are reminded that reservations in the room block rate are available on a first come first serve basis. Guests are encouraged to make reservations by March 8, 2024. Rate will be available until April 29th OR until block is full, whichever comes first.

ATTENDEE & GUEST REGISTRATION INFO – Visit the USSD website for details.

EXHIBIT INFO
$800 (member & nonmember)
Exhibit purchase includes:
 * 1 Full Attendee Registration
 * 6-foot table
 * 2 chairs
 * 1 standard power outlet
 * Recognition on event signage
SECURE YOUR EXHIBIT SPACE

SPONSORSHIP INFO
$1,500 (member) / $1,750 (nonmember)
Sponsors receive:
 * Logo or recognition on marketing materials
 * Recognition on event signage
PURCHASE YOUR SPONSORSHIP

IMPORTANT TRAVEL NOTES
After you complete your registration, you will receive instructions for obtaining an Invitation letter.

Please note that USSD does not provide advice on or assist with making travel arrangements. All participants should review travel requirements and restrictions through the appropriate federal agencies or their airline. All questions should be directed to these agencies or companies.
Department of Homeland Security
US Customs & Border Protection

General Schedule

* Indicates activities/events included with a PAID guest registration
Please note that simultaneous English-Spanish translation will be available for technical presentations.

Tuesday, 21 May

Opening Session

Welcome and Conference Overview – Marty Teal, WEST Consultants, USA
Welcome from ICOLD – VPs of the Americas – Dean Durkee, USA and Joaquim Pimenta, Brazil (invited), ICOLD
Welcome to Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico Electric Power Agency (invited)
USA National Dam Safety Program – Kayed Lakia, FEMA, USA
Water Resources in Puerto Rico – Pully Torres, Torres-Rosa Consulting Engineers, USA
Special Award – Presented by Luis Vellacich, ITAIPU Binacional, Paraguay

Dam Safety Legislation, Why Needed & Barriers (Moderator: Erick Campos, Costa Rica Electric Institute, ICE, Costa Rica)

Brazilian Experience: The Challenges of 12.334 Law and Impacts of a “New” Dam Safety Legislation – Ricardo Aguiar Magalhães, Consultant, Brazil
Argentinian Experience – Ailin Pertierra, Ministry of the Interior, Dam Safety Regulation, Argentina (invited)
Mexican Experience – Humberto Marengo, National Water Commission, Mexico
World Bank Experience – Felipe Lazaro, World Bank
Inter-American Development Bank Experience – IADB Invited
Panel Discussion

Emergency Planning and Response (Moderator: Alejandro Pujol, Consultant)

MECODE: Disaster Cooperation Mechanism – Director General of the Secretariat of the Inter-American Defense Board (Invited)
US Army Corps of Engineers Emergency Planning for Rio de La Plata – Jason Needham, USACE, USA
Emergency Operations – Coordinating with Responders – Clare Raska, Canadian Dam Association
Workshops Integrating Owner Plans and External Emergency Coordination – Rafael Pereira Machado, Luis Gustavo Fortes Westin, and Ricardo Aguiar Magalhães, Brazilian Civil Defense and Disaster Coordination (invited)
Emergency Operations Data and Post-incident Recovery – Bill Kappel, Applied Weather Associates and Ed Beadenkopf, Atkins Realis, USA

Dam Safety Incidents & Case Studies – Part 1 (Moderator: Pascual Perrazo, Carpi, Venezuela)

Incident / Case Study 1: Incidents and rehabilitation of the foundations of the El Chocón and Paso de las Piedras dams, Argentina – Alejandro Pujol, Consultant, Argentina
Incident / Case Study 2: ITAIPU Integrated Dam Safety Experiences: ” for ITAIPU Binacional SOAA Auscultation Analysis Optimization System ” and ” ITAIPU BINACIONAL Dam Safety Management System” – Ing. Ricardo Miranda, ITAIPU Binacional, Paraguay and Marcos Miranda Parque Tecnológico de Itaipu, Paraguay
Incident / Case Study Case Study 3: Qualitative Risk Analysis for Reventazón Dam – E. Campos, ICE, Costa Rica

Wednesday, 22 May

Dam Safety Incidents & Case Studies – Part 2 (Moderator: Angel Gutierrez, US Bureau of Reclamation, USA)

Incident / Case Study 4: Venezuela – Turimiquire Dam, Concrete Face Damages and 9.800 lps Leakage – Rafael Guevara, GLG Ingenieros Consultores, Venezuela
Incident / Case Study 5: Colombia – Daniel Toscano, Empresas Publicas de Medellin, Colombia
Incident / Case Study 6: Panama – Albano Aguilar, Panama Canal Authority, Panama
Incident / Case Study 7: Brazil – Construction of Water Storage Dams in Brazil: Strengths and weaknesses around 24 topics – Daiene Bittencourt Mendes Santos, Ricardo Aguiar Magalhaes, COL Luiz Antonio Dias do Carmo, Defense Superior College and Institutional Security Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil (invited)
Incident / Case Study 8: Colombia – Camilo Marulanda, INGETEC, Colombia (invited)

Sedimentation I (Moderator: Marty Teal, WEST Consultants, USA)

Puerto Rico Sedimentation Case Study – Greg Morris, GLM Engineering, USA
Water Injection Dredging: Tuttle Creek Lake Pilot Project – Zach Tyler, John Shelley, USACE, USA
Peruvian Sedimentation Experience – Miguel Suazo, Consultant, Peru
ICOLD Committee Activities – Marty Teal, WEST Consultants, USA

Sedimentation II (Moderator: Axel Montalvo-Bartolomei, USACE)

Guatemalan River of Plastics – Paul Meeks, Worthington Products, USA
Reservoir Sediment Management Strategies – World Bank (invited)
Bathymetric surveying in the ITAIPU reservoir to monitor the advance of sediments – Giovanni Gomez Villa, ITAIPU Binacional, Paraguay
Sediments & Debris Management, Panel Discussion

Overview of Field Tour

Thursday, 23 May

Field Tour

Lago Loiza & Carraizo Dam
Rio Blanco Dam
Lunch at Kioscos, Liquillo, Puerto Rico