It’s Dam Good Money for Utah
April 9, 2015 (Gephardt Daily) – The Department of Agriculture announced that $73 million dollars will be invested to rehabilitate and assess dams across the nation this year.
This move is to ensure Americans are kept safe from harm, as well as securing public health and expanding water supplies in drought-affected areas. About 150 projects and assessments in 23 states, including Utah, will be funded.
“Millions of people depend on watersheds and dams for protection from floods and to provide safe drinking water. With a changing and shifting climate, dams are also vital to holding stores of water for use during drought,” Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.
“By investing in this critical infrastructure, we are helping to ensure a safe, resilient environment for agr
icultural producers and residents of rural America,” he added.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) highlighted this round of watershed rehabilitation funding in Utah, where work is planned on Tibble Fork Dam to increase the water supply and improve flood damage protection for surrounding communities.
This project is one of 19 scheduled for Utah. The state will receive nearly $30 million in overall funding.
Half of this year’s dam assessments, including 15 in drought-stricken California, will assess the feasibility of using watershed rehabilitation funds to mitigate drought.
“USDA continues to look for new ways to mitigate the impacts of drought across the West, and this change to the Watershed Rehabilitation Program allows us to use existing infrastructure to address water quantity issues,” a spokesman said.
This investment follows the Obama Administration’s call last year for federal agencies to increase investments in infrastructure to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and improve the competitiveness of the American economy.
There are nearly 12,000 dams across the United States in need of improvment. In addition to nearly 50 rehabilitation projects, NRCS is conducting 100 dam assessments in 13 states through the Watershed Rehabilitation Program.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service projects for 2015 include:
- Tibble Fork Dam, Utah: Tibble Fork Dam is located in the American Fork-Dry Creek Watershed within US Forest Service lands of Utah County, Utah. The dam provides protection against flooding within American Fork Canyon, and the communities of Cedar Hills, American Fork, Highland and Pleasant Grove. The rehabilitation project is expected to provide average annual benefits of $535,000 including water supply, recreation and flood protection.
- Trinity River-East Fork above Lavon, Texas: Located in Collin County, this dam provides protection against flooding to an estimated 1,630 Texans who live and work downstream. Additionally, it protects six city streets and one U.S. Highway that together support over 39,000 vehicles daily. Among other critical infrastructure, the dam also protects power lines, water lines and fiber optic cables. The rehabilitation project is expected to annually provide about $1.5 million flood damage reduction benefits.
- Delaney Multipurpose Complex Dam, Mass.: The Delaney Multipurpose Complex consists of two dams, the Delaney Dam and the East Bolton Dam. Originally built in 1971, the Delaney Complex does not meet current dam safety criteria. Dam failure would result in damages to 272 buildings, nine roads, two bridges, other public infrastructure, public utilities and potential loss of life. The dam currently provides $382,130 in annual flood protection benefits to the downstream communities including recreational opportunities, water supply for irrigation, groundwater recharge and base flow for downstream waste water assimilation.
Watershed projects across the nation provide an estimated $2.2 billion in annual benefits in reduced flooding and erosion damages, as well as improved recreation, water supplies and wildlife habitat for an estimated 47 million Americans.
