Twenty-five states across the U.S. can write headlines of dam failure caused by nuisance wildlife intrusions, and many dam owners find the struggle to adequately manage nuisance wildlife at their dams a never-ending story. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has funded the development of this manual with the understanding that safe dam operation includes comprehensive, state-of-practice guidance on timely inspection and observation of wildlife damages, accurate wildlife identification and mitigation, and appropriate dam design, repair, and preventive measures. It is hoped that the information and methods contained in this manual will compose the core of dam management routines practiced by dam specialists across the country. Armed with education and diligence, dam specialists can prevent animal intrusion dam failure from becoming headline news.