Edwards’ bills to fund water systems, improve dam safety in WNC headed to president’s desk

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed S. 4367, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2024, which secures wins for Western North Carolina - including the following funding authorizations - and is headed to the president’s desk to be signed into law:

• More than $41 million for flood mitigation along the Pigeon River in Canton, N.C.
• $1.5 million for downtown water system rehabilitation in Murphy, N.C.
• $4 million for water plant expansion in Weaverville, N.C.
• More than $3.4 million for water infrastructure upgrades in Robbinsville, N.C.

In addition to the funding, the following three bills that Edwards introduced were passed as part of WRDA 2024: the National Dam Safety Program Reauthorization Act of 2023, the National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act, and the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act.

Edwards said, "WNC, with its many lakes and rivers, must remain at the forefront of dam safety and I’m pleased that the House passed three of my bills to provide federal support for the nearly 92,000 dams that serve critical functions across our nation.

"The significant flooding following Hurricane Helene underscored the importance of improving dam safety efforts to prevent catastrophic dam failures, protect lives and downstream communities, and make sure that dams continue to provide the services that Western North Carolinians 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’ (ASCE) 2021 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave America’s dams a “D” grade in safety, and the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) 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 Reauthorization Act of 2023 reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program through fiscal year 2028.

The bipartisan National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act 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 bipartisan 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.

Background

• The National Dam Safety Program plays a critical role in preventing and protecting downstream communities from the effects of dam failure, reducing dam operating costs, and making sure that dams across the country continue to provide critical water management services.
• Low-head dams are man-made 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.
  • There is currently no process in place to keep track of the quantity, condition or location of low-head dams across the United States.
  • According to American Whitewater, 192 incidents involving the failure of low-head dams and 151 deaths related to these dam failures occurred between 2019 and 2022.