News

Edwards praises House passage of dam safety bill

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 24, 2024

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards on Tuesday praised the adoption in the House of two bills that he introduced to improve dam safety as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

"WNC, with its many lakes and rivers, must remain at the forefront of dam safety," he said in a stateent. "I’m pleased that the House passed two of my bills, the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act and National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act, to provide federal support for the nearly 92,000 dams that serve critical functions across our nation. By improving dam safety efforts, we can prevent catastrophic dam failures, protect lives and downstream communities, and make sure that dams continue to provide the services that Americans depend on."

North Carolina’s 11th district is home to more than 750 dams, many of which are in poor or unsatisfactory condition. The American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave America’s dams a “D” grade in safety, and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials estimates that more than 2,300 high-hazard dams are at risk due to a lack of investment in dam safety. ASDSO estimates that it would cost $157.5 billion to place these high-hazard dams into a state of good repair.

The bipartisan National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program through fiscal year 2028, increases the amount a state can receive for its dam safety program through already-available funding under the Federal Emergency Management Agency by 800 percent, and improves the program to strengthen dam safety across the nation.

The Low-Head Dam Inventory Act would require that low-head dams be added to the National Inventory of Dams to keep track of the location and condition of low-head dams, specifically high-hazard low-head dams, and make sure that they are appropriately maintained to prevent low-head dam failures. Low-head dams are manmade structures built in rivers or stream channels, spanning from bank to bank, to direct the flow of water or change the height of the water levels.