CS34A - Concurrent Session 34A: Programmatic and Project-Specific Approaches to Using Dam Removal Projects as Dam Safety Solutions

United States infrastructure is on the cusp of significant change. Expansive public infrastructure funding has been made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at a time when (1) the state of dam infrastructure continues to deteriorate due to an aging fleet; (2) the number of high-hazard-potential dams is doubling due to downstream development; and (3) more extreme weather patterns are emerging. Experts estimate that roughly $80 billion is needed to rehabilitate and/or remove many of the nation’s non-federal dams most in need of attention.

Dams, however, are not designed to last forever. A growing number of dam owners are opting to work with state dam safety offices and NGO partners to decommission and remove their dams, especially where the costs associated with liability, repair, and maintenance exceed removal costs. Once a radical notion, dam removal is now a common practice and a reliable solution for dam owners wrestling with weighing the liability and expense associated with dam ownership against the benefits provided by their dams.

In this presentation, American Rivers will outline how to access funding to address aging, outdated dam infrastructure and develop multi-benefit dam removal projects that will appeal to a broader array of funding sources. We will examine how current efforts to inventory and prioritize dams based on a number of ecological and social factors can be leveraged to help connect dam owners with different funding options, as well as to groups that can assist owners in further developing a project. We will demonstrate how building collaborative partnerships with non-traditional stakeholders and exploring innovative financing options are one way to address outdated dams in this competitive funding environment.