A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Rehabilitating Our Nation's Aging Flood Control Dams
Local watershed project sponsors, assisted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), have constructed over 10,450 upstream flood control dams in 46 states under the PL-534, PL-566, Pilot, and RC&D water resource programs. Some of these projects are reaching the end of their 50-year design life. Many have significant rehabilitation needs. Some dams pose a threat to the public health and safety of community residents while others have potential for creating adverse environmental impacts in downstream floodplains that have been protected by the dams for the past 50 years. These watershed projects, which represent a $14 billion infrastructure investment, have provided flood control, municipal water supply, recreation, and wildlife habitat enhancement on over 130 million acres in every state in the nation. They have reduced flooding to prime farmlands, highways, homes and businesses and have become an integral part of the communities they were designed to protect. Many project areas are now in a far different setting than when they were originally constructed. Population has grown, development has occurred upstream and downstream from the dams, landuse changes have taken place, sediment pools are filling, structural components have deteriorated, and many do not meet state dam safety regulations that have been revised with more stringent requirements since the dams were built. A major challenge exists as more than 2,000 dams need rehabilitation at an estimated cost of more than $540 million. Public safety, environmental concerns, funding, and liability are just some of the issues that must be addressed before these dams reach the end of their design life. There is currently no federal statutory authority for rehabilitation of these projects, and most local sponsors do not have the financial capability to address work needed to continue to protect their communities.
Rehabilitating Our Nation's Aging Flood Control Dams
Local watershed project sponsors, assisted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), have constructed over 10,450 upstream flood control dams in 46 states under the PL-534, PL-566, Pilot, and RC&D water resource programs. Some of these projects are reaching the end of their 50-year design life. Many have significant rehabilitation needs. Some dams pose a threat to the public health and safety of community residents while others have potential for creating adverse environmental impacts in downstream floodplains that have been protected by the dams for the past 50 years. These watershed projects, which represent a $14 billion infrastructure investment, have provided flood control, municipal water supply, recreation, and wildlife habitat enhancement on over 130 million acres in every state in the nation. They have reduced flooding to prime farmlands, highways, homes and businesses and have become an integral part of the communities they were designed to protect. Many project areas are now in a far different setting than when they were originally constructed. Population has grown, development has occurred upstream and downstream from the dams, landuse changes have taken place, sediment pools are filling, structural components have deteriorated, and many do not meet state dam safety regulations that have been revised with more stringent requirements since the dams were built. A major challenge exists as more than 2,000 dams need rehabilitation at an estimated cost of more than $540 million. Public safety, environmental concerns, funding, and liability are just some of the issues that must be addressed before these dams reach the end of their design life. There is currently no federal statutory authority for rehabilitation of these projects, and most local sponsors do not have the financial capability to address work needed to continue to protect their communities.
Rehabilitating Our Nation's Aging Flood Control Dams
Caldwell, Larry W. (author)
Watershed Management and Operations Management Conferences 2000 ; 2000 ; Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
2001-05-12
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Dams , Environmental issues , Hydrology , Floods , Watersheds , Rehabilitation , Costs
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