(a) The commissioner shall cause a survey and maps to be made of each town showing the location of any dams or similar structures within such town, and shall file a copy of such map with the town clerk. On and after October 1, 2007, the owner of real property where a high hazard or significant hazard dam is located shall cause to be recorded on the land records in the municipality where the property is located a document that identifies the existence of the dam and whether the dam is categorized as a high hazard dam or a significant hazard dam. The commissioner shall publish a standardized form to be used for such purposes.

(b) The owner of any dam or similar structure that, by failing, may endanger life or property and that is not already registered shall register on or before October 1, 2015, with the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection on a form prescribed by the commissioner, the location and dimensions of such dam or structure and such other information as the commissioner may require. Any information reported on such form that the commissioner cannot otherwise independently obtain shall not be used by the commissioner to order the payment of a civil penalty pursuant to § 22a-6d or 22a-407 provided such form is submitted to the commissioner on or before October 1, 2015. The fee for registration shall be as follows: (1) Dams or similar structures five feet or more in height but less than fifteen feet, fifty dollars; (2) dams or similar structures fifteen feet or more in height but less than twenty-five feet, one hundred dollars; and (3) dams or similar structures twenty-five feet or more in height, two hundred dollars. Dams or similar structures less than five feet in height shall be registered without fee. As used in this subsection, “height” means the vertical distance from the crest of a dam or similar structure to the downstream toe of such dam or similar structure. The owner of any dam or similar structure shall notify the commissioner by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, of a transfer of ownership of such dam or similar structure not later than ten days after the date of such transfer.

(c) The commissioner shall notify the owner of any dam or similar structure registered pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, in writing, by certified mail, return receipt requested, not later than January fifteenth of any year in which inspection of such dam is due. Such notice shall identify the classification of such dam, as set forth in the regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection, and include a statement of the frequency for such inspection, as set forth in such regulations. Upon receipt of such timely notification by the commissioner, the owner of any such dam or similar structure shall cause such structure to be inspected in accordance with the regulations adopted pursuant to this subsection by a registered professional engineer licensed in the state and shall, not later than March fifteenth of the following year, submit the results of such inspection to the commissioner on a form prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner shall periodically inspect dams registered pursuant to subsection (b) of this section for quality assurance when an owner fails to undertake a regularly scheduled inspection and as necessary after a flood event. The fee for any such inspection shall be six hundred sixty dollars until such time as regulations are adopted concerning such inspection fees. Any dam which impounds less than three acre-feet of water or any dam which the commissioner finds has a potential for negligible damage in the event of a failure, after an initial inspection, shall be exempt from the provisions of this subsection except upon determination by the commissioner that such dam poses a unique hazard. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 establishing (1) a schedule for the frequency of and procedures for inspection of dams, (2) the inspection fees for inspections undertaken by the department, sufficient to cover the reasonable cost of such inspections, (3) procedures for registration and criteria for waiver of registration and inspection fees, and (4) criteria for determining whether a dam has a potential for negligible damage in the event of a failure.