New Infrastructure Bill Includes Significant Funding Increases for Dam Project Work

Dams across the country are expected to see upgrade and improvement work beginning next year as a result of the recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill.

Some $3 billion in that legislation has been allotted to dam work, targeting specifically the tens of thousands of dams in the country that are 50 years or older.

The legislation is also providing $585 million for repair work on dams regarded as hazardous, with $75 million going specifically for the dam removal.

According to sources, roughly 15,600 dams in the U.S. are listed as a high-hazard structure. That number has more than doubled since the late 1990s.

Funding to the tune of $7 million usually sent to the states from Washington through the Federal Emergency Management Agency is additionally being significantly increased by the legislation to around $148 million.

According to a recent American Society of Civil Engineers report, roughly 70% of all dams in the country will have passed the 50-year mark by the end of this decade.

“The high average age means that the majority of dams will not have been built to current standards, let alone incorporate newer standards that improve their resilience and reduce the risk to downstream areas,” notes the report.

Officials note that dam funding from Washington won’t appear overnight, but instead will be available most likely beginning in either late 2022 or early 2023 due to the official beginning of the 2023 fiscal year on October 1.

By Garry Boulard

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