South Asheville News

U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) issued a statement following the U.S. House's passage of two bills he introduced, the National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act and the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act, as part of H.R.8812, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

"WNC, with its many lakes and rivers, must remain at the forefront of dam safety. I’m pleased that the House passed two of my bills, the Low-Head Dam Inventory Act and National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act, to provide federal support for the nearly 92,000 dams that serve critical functions across our nation," Edwards stated.

"By improving dam safety efforts, we can prevent catastrophic dam failures, protect lives and downstream communities, and make sure that dams continue to provide the services that Americans depend on."

North Carolina’s 11th district is home to more than 750 dams, many 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. The Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) estimates over 2,300 high-hazard dams are at risk due to insufficient investment in dam safety. ASDSO projects it would cost $157.5 billion to repair these high-hazard dams.

The bipartisan National Dam Safety Program Amendment Act reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program through fiscal year 2028. It increases state funding for dam safety programs via already-available Federal Emergency Management Agency funds by 800 percent and enhances program measures to strengthen national dam safety.

The Low-Head Dam Inventory Act mandates adding low-head dams to the National Inventory of Dams to monitor their location and condition—particularly high-hazard low-head dams—and ensure proper maintenance to prevent failures.

Background information highlights that the National Dam Safety Program is essential for preventing downstream community impacts from dam failures while reducing operating costs and ensuring continued water management services from dams nationwide. Low-head dams are manmade structures built across rivers or streams to direct water flow or alter water levels. Currently, there is no system tracking low-head dam quantity, condition, or location in the United States. According to American Whitewater data from 2019 to 2022, there were 192 incidents involving low-head dam failures resulting in 151 deaths.