June 5, 2026, Mexico City, Mexico – Knight Piésold brought together global specialists from Mexico, the United States, Canada, and South Africa to deliver technical programming and foster industry collaboration at the 94th International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) Annual Meeting, held May 22-29, 2026, in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Twelve specialists from five Knight Piésold offices contributed to the conference theme “Water, Energy, and Society: The Evolving Role of Dams in a Changing World,” which centered on addressing challenges facing the industry, including climate resilience, sustainable water management, and energy transition. Throughout the week, the team led advanced training courses, presented a case study on a landmark project, participated in technical committee discussions, and championed young professional development initiatives.

Technical Leadership and Presentations

Slope Stability Short Course

Paul Ridlen, Senior Principal Geotechnical Engineer at Knight Piésold USA, and Andrew Copeland, Mining Technical Director at Knight Piésold Southern Africa, helped organize the short course “Slope Stability Part 3.” The course built on previous ICOLD training sessions and explored advanced concepts for evaluating slope stability in dams that do not meet standard guidelines, including performance-based design applications and advanced numerical modeling techniques.

Tailings Governance Workshop

Ridlen presented at “Workshop 2: Governance and Management of Tailings (B 194) and Round Table (Perspective of International and Mexican Engineering),” facilitating discussions on tailings management experiences in Mexico and internationally. The collaborative session examined international best practices to advance Mexican tailings governance practices. Gilberto Dominguez, Business Development Leader at Knight Piésold Mexico, also served as an advisor for workshop organization.

Dam Removal Project Presentation

Katrina Wechselberger, Specialist Engineer at Knight Piésold Canada, presented “Klamath River Renewal Project – The Decommissioning of Four Dams on One River,” showcasing the largest dam removal project in the history of the United States to restore natural flow and volitional fish passage to historic habitat and spawning grounds. Knight Piésold served as lead designer for the dam removal contractor.

Wechselberger’s presentation highlighted design strategies for dam removal that minimized impacts to downstream aquatic resources while mitigating risks during deconstruction. She explained how the team safely decommissioned four hydroelectric facilities, including reservoir drawdown using low-level outlets and an engineered slow erosion event for the final breach of the largest and most downstream facility.

ICOLD Community Engagement

Technical Committee Meetings

Both Ridlen and Copeland serve on the ICOLD Technical Committee L on Tailings Dams and Waste Lagoons as the United States and South African representatives, respectively, with Ridlen also holding the Vice Chair position. They participated in committee meetings and anniversary celebrations recognizing 50 years of advancing state of practice for tailings dam safety.

Robert Greyling, Water and Power Technical Director at Knight Piésold Southern Africa, and Edwin Lillie, Dams and Hydro Section Manager at Knight Piésold South Africa, also contributed to discussions as members of the ICOLD Technical Committee M on Operation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation of Dams.

Young Professionals Forum Events

Janice Zhang, Principal Civil Engineer at Knight Piésold South Africa, serves as a Board Member of the ICOLD Young Professionals Forum (YPF). She participated in a full slate of YPF activities throughout the week, designed to foster dialogue among emerging engineers and researchers. Copeland also served as a mentor for the YPF Mentoring Lunch event.

Conference Connections

Throughout the conference, Jorge Velazquez, Diego Pedrozo, Itzel Rivera, and Kevin Zarate of Knight Piésold Mexico, and Del Shannon of Knight Piésold USA, engaged with delegates from the exhibit booth, which served as a hub for the Knight Piésold team to discuss the company’s experience in mining, hydropower, and water infrastructure projects in Mexico and internationally.  

“We’re proud to have participated alongside our colleagues from the United States, Canada, and South Africa in a collaborative effort focused on dam safety, tailings management, and sharing international best practices across the industry,” said Velazquez, Operations Manager at Knight Piésold Mexico. “It was an incredible week of technical exchange and meaningful connections with clients and industry professionals from around the world.”

“We remain committed to collaborating with the ICOLD community to advance state of practice in dam engineering worldwide. From tailings facilities to hydropower and water storage dams, we continue to support dam owners with safe design, operations, and regulatory compliance.”