Seepage-induced internal erosion through and/or under embankment dams remains one of the most critical threats to their long-term performance. Many aging embankment dams were constructed without modern downstream filter to protect the core, relying instead on broadly-graded glacial filter/transition/shell materials. These materials frequently fail to meet current filter design criteria, increasing vulnerability to internal erosion and contributing to documented sinkhole incidents in dams worldwide.  This paper presents a comprehensive framework for assessing the susceptibility of zoned embankment dams to internal erosion, with particular emphasis on internal stability of downstream filter/transition/shell zones, as well as filter compatibility. The framework integrates multiple components: (i) use of construction records of grain size distribution data to characterize a wide range of gradation curves, (ii) application of the Kenney and Lau (1985, 1986) method to evaluate internal stability and the Li et al. (2025) method to estimate post erosion gradations of the unstable soils, (iii) use of Foster and Fell (2001)’s continuing erosion criteria to categorize erosion severity, and (iv) verification of empirical rules through laboratory testing. By combining historical construction data, empirical evaluation, and experimental investigation, this framework enables dam owners and practitioners to advance risk-informed decision-making with greater confidence.