In the 1950s and 60s USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), working with state, local governments and partners, designed and built many dams across the United States for flood and sediment control and water storage. Many of these dams are coming to the end of their design life.
In early April, I traveled up the American Fork Canyon in Utah to Tibble Fork Dam to announce Utah would be receiving nearly $30 million dollars to rehabilitate aging dams.
This aging infrastructure is of concern. When many of these dams were built, the area was rural. Now homes and businesses are immediately next to, or below, them. Safety is a huge concern and ensuring the soundness of the dams NRCS helped build is a high priority for the agency.
The $30 million Utah received is part of a federal investment of $73 million that will be used in 23 states and help fund about 150 projects. One of the great things about this national investment is that the money will be spent in rural areas, providing jobs locally.
In Utah, Governor Gary Herbert put $11 million dollars in his state budget to ensure that matching funds were available to leverage federal dollars, and local water conservation groups, along with county and city governments, also set aside matching funds and have been instrumental in completing the program.
I was able to point out that this dam rehabilitation program was not only about safety, but to help increase water storage especially in times of drought.
The Tibble Fork Dam will be raised 15 feet, increasing water storage capacity and recreational opportunities for nearby communities like Salt Lake City.
Earlier this year, President Obama called on all federal agencies to increase investment in infrastructure. Dams are a critical part of our national infrastructure. It really is a partnership of local government, state government and the federal government working together to solve problems and invest on our future.
At NRCS, we’re working to find new ways to help states and landowners mitigate drought impacts. An update to our Watershed Rehabilitation Program allows us to use existing infrastructure to address pressing issues.
