Editorial

We start this issue of Dams and Reservoirs with two briefing notes. These are short notes to provide information that we hope you will find of interest. If you have anything that you would like to share with British Dam Society members, but which will not justify a full paper, then please do consider writing a briefing note.In our first briefing note (Davies and King, 2026), the Environment Agency’s process of risk designation for large raised reservoirs in England is explained in detail. This process, which defines whether a reservoir is categorised as high-risk or not high-risk, should be fully understood by all involved in English statutory reservoirs, whether undertakers, panel engineers or others with a relevant responsibility. The category that a reservoir is designated under can make a significant difference to the ongoing management of the reservoir.Our second briefing note (Allen and Tudor, 2026) shows how the British Dam Society supports and benefits from being a member of ICOLD – the International Commission on Large Dams. The authors explain how, as part of the ICOLD 2025 conference in China, they were able to visit parts of dams that are not accessible to the general public, and to engage in interesting discussions with participants from many other countries. Every year there is an ICOLD meeting, in a different country each year, and it is our hope that reading this briefing note will encourage others to join the British contingent attending.Basic dam engineering tells us that two fundamental modes of failure of concrete dams are overturning and sliding. While sliding, if it is to occur at all, might be expected on the first filling of reservoir, it is also a potential failure mode if the foundation strength deteriorates. Krutov (2026) has examined several methods used internationally that determine the factor of safety against sliding for concrete dams. His paper compares these methods, identifying the most stringent methods for different load cases.Knowing soil parameters accurately is also essential in determining factors of safety of dams. The paper by Bruschi et al. (2026) considers the importance of knowing the undrained shear strength of natural soils, especially those that form the foundation of dams, which are likely to be very variable. The paper reports on a study which proposes an approach to establish a framework to delineate the boundary between effective stress parameters and undrained shear strength. The method was demonstrated on measurements from a sediment retention dam in Brazil, with encouraging results.As always, you are invited to share your interesting projects or innovations through this journal. Do contact the Editor, Andrew Pepper, on [email protected] or [email protected] for any help or guidance you may need.