U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has provided technical and funding assistance to local watershed sponsors to construct 11,000 project dams (primary purposes being flood control, water supply, and grade stabilization) since 1948—most of these dams were installed under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (PL 83-566).13 While these watershed project dams provide significant annual benefits, thousands of these dams need to be rehabilitated: 1,065 watershed dams have already exceeded their design life and by 2015 an additional 4,300 dams will have exceeded their design life; 1,000 dams need to be rehabilitated due to stricter dam safety standards as a result of downstream development greatly increasing the consequences of a dam failure.

The NRCS has implemented a very successful program to provide assessments, planning, designs, and construction funding to begin the enormous task of repairing watershed dams throughout the U.S. The success of the program has been a result of partnerships between the NRCS, local sponsors, and state dam safety officials—leadership and funding provided by Congress. The design and construction funding is cost-shared—65% is provided by the NRCS and 35% is provided through local participation. To date, 77 dams have been rehabilitated, an additional 55 have been authorized for construction, and another 31 are in the planning phase.

Congress has continued its leadership role by providing $100 million in the 2008 Farm Bill (mandatory funding) and has authorized $85 million to be appropriated for fiscal years 2008 through 2012 (discretionary funding) to support the Watershed Rehabilitation Program. Over the next four years (FY 2009–2012), the NRCS anticipates performing 400 dam assessments, processing 250 local sponsor requests for assistance, developing 200 rehabilitation plans, completing 170 designs, and rehabilitating 120 watershed dams.