Dollars for Dam Safety Being Released

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gave the nation’s dams a grade of D in its 2021 Infrastructure Report Card. Thousands of the most critical high hazard potential dams included in the more than 90,000 dams listed in the National Inventory of Dams do not meet current safety standards. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) included a significant investment to improve the safety and function of dams in the country, including funding to rehabilitate or remove dams (over $1.6 billion) as well as strengthening state and federal dam safety programs ($725 million). There is an urgent need to address these deficiencies; however, many dam owners, especially private dam owners, find it difficult to finance rehabilitation projects.

To help address the need to rehabilitate high hazard dams, FEMA released the Fiscal Year 2022 Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dam (HHPD) Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity on May 16. The grant program provides technical, planning, design and construction assistance in the form of grants for the rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams. HHPD grants can awarded to states/territories with an existing state/territory dam safety program who have a FEMA approved hazard mitigation plan that includes all dam risk. Eligible subrecipients are non-federal governmental organizations (other than the designated applicant) and nonprofit organizations.

In Fiscal Year 2022, the High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program is being allocated $22 million to continue the program. Of the total funding, $11.64 million from the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act will be available for planning and design activities and $10.36 million from the IIJA will be available for construction-ready activities only.

Eligible non-federal dams are:

• Located in a state or territory with a dam safety program;
• Classified as high hazard potential by the dam safety agency in the state or territory where the dam is located;
• Covered by a current, approved emergency action plan approved by the state or territorial dam safety agency;
• Currently unable to meet minimum dam safety standards of the state or territory or poses an unacceptable risk to the public; and,
• Located in a state or territory with an enacted dam safety program, the state administrative agency or an equivalent state agency is eligible to apply. Each eligible state may submit only one grant application.

In addition to funding for the High Hazard Potential Dam Grant Program, another approximately $11 million will be made available for the National Dam Safety State Assistance Grants to support and improve state dam safety programs. These funds include $7 million from the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act and $4 million from IIJA.

FEMA is offering informational webinars for interested applicants to provide an overview of this year’s two dam safety funding opportunities. Information will include the agency’s funding priorities, application submission and review processes. Registration information for all upcoming webinars will be provided soon.

Both grant programs carry an application deadline of July 15, 2022.