The 112th Congress Critical For Dam Safety

The Fourth of July weekend is the perfect time to talk about our dam infrastructure as summer temperatures and a long weekend entice our families to the lakes and ponds strategically located throughout our great state. On one of the trips around the lake, many that explore the outlet are likely to find a dam used to maintain the summer surface elevations. New Hampshire's surface waters provide up to $1.5 billion dollars of annual economic benefit.

There are two critical pieces of legislation anticipated in the current two year session. First is the reauthorization of the National Dam Safety Act. Last authorized near the close of the 109th congress in 2006, this act provides for federal leadership and assistance to the state-level programs including training and research. This Act will expire on September 30, 2011.

The next important piece of legislation is the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act. This would provide funding to the states for repair, rehabilitation, and removal of publicly-owned dams.

By the year 2020, 85% of the dams nation-wide will be more than 50 years old. In New Hampshire 43 of the 274 state-owned dams have deficiencies that require major reconstruction or repair. Correcting these deficiencies would require about $15 million in investment.

Passage of these  bills is only part of the solution. In New Hampshire there are a total of 1,964 privately-owned dams. Assuming a similar percentage of deficiencies as seen in the state-owned dams, approximately 314 dams privately-owned dams would require major reconstruction, with about $157 million of investment needed.

It will be important to track this critical legislation. We need to let our congressional delegation know how important dams are to our safety and quality of life, and be vigilant that the bills make steady progress through the federal process. In the last congress, versions of the Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act progressed through both houses, but stalled in committee without the political will to move forward before the end of the session.