Reservoir Initial Filling: Preparation, Implementation, and Lessons Learned

Presented as part of the 5th annual Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation technical webinar series on emerging technologies and best practices relevant to embankments dams, particularly those in the Canadian Prairies.

The initial reservoir filling is one of the highest-risk periods in a dam’s lifecycle, as the structure is subjected to near full design loads for the first time. A significant proportion of dam incidents and failures occurred during this stage, underscoring the need for comprehensive planning, robust surveillance, and clearly defined operational and emergency procedures.

This webinar will outline the essential components of a safe and effective filling strategy, including pre-construction planning, coordinated reservoir filling operations, and the implementation of a risk-informed instrumentation and monitoring program. Case studies of both successful and unsuccessful impoundments will illustrate lessons learned - demonstrating how strong governance, realistic planning, effective monitoring, and timely decision-making can prevent failures and improve overall project outcomes.

Attendees will gain practical insights into how owners, operators, and regulators can optimize planning, surveillance, and emergency readiness to ensure a safe and well-managed first filling event.

Tim Little has more than 49 years of experience in hydroelectric engineering including investigation, design, construction, operation, monitoring, surveillance, performance assessment and maintenance of dams and hydroelectric projects, dam safety assessments, rehabilitation/upgrades of existing dams, and regulation of dam safety. He also has extensive experience in seismic hazard assessment and has been a member of national and international technical committees developing seismic standards for dams, buildings and electrical facilities. Since 2015, one of his major roles has been to serve as Independent Engineer for the construction of the Site C hydroelectric project, providing regulatory oversight on behalf of the office of the British Columbia Comptroller of Water Rights.

Greg has 44 years of experience, including numerous hydroelectric projects and water resource projects in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and British Columbia. Greg has extensive experience in the design and construction of new hydroelectric facilities, as well as in dam safety projects, dam safety inspections, design and construction for modifications for rehabilitation of aging structures. He has been involved in projects on over 300 dams on 50 systems in the Atlantic Provinces and British Columbia. Greg was the Engineering Manager for the Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric Facility of the Lower Churchill Project and now acts as an advisor as a Subject Matter Expert in Hydro.

Kris Matusiewicz is the Senior Embankment Dams Engineer in the Dam Safety Section at Manitoba Hydro. He brings over 20 years of experience in dam and permafrost engineering, including the unique challenges of constructing dams on permafrost. Before joining Manitoba Hydro, Kris worked with UMA Engineering (now AECOM) and BGC Engineering, contributing to a wide range of projects across Canada and internationally. Kris currently leads a team responsible for the safety and performance of 156 embankment dams, which range in height from just a few metres to approximately 45 metres and span a combined length of more than 130 kilometres. His expertise ensures these critical structures operate reliably and safely for the customers they serve.

Mohammad (Mamun) Al-Mamun has 25 years of experience in geotechnical, geoenvironmental, and infrastructure engineering and led multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder teams that delivered complex and challenging design and construction projects. His areas of expertise include design and construction of embankment dams and waste dumps, dam safety management (water, hydropower, mining), risk assessment, regulatory compliance, tailings management, large scale site investigation, foundation characterizations and instrumentation programs as well as laboratory and in-situ testing, and construction management. Mamun currently works a Director and Principal Consultant of Dam Practises for Tetra Tech Canada and Secretary-Treasurer of the Canadian Dam Association (CDA).

AGI, in partnership with the CDA, presents the 2025-2026 Technical Webinar Series

Reservoir Initial Filling: Preparation, Implementation, and Lessons Learned

AGI, in partnership with the CDA, presents the

2025-2026 Technical Webinar Series