United States Department of Agriculture

WATERSHED DAM REHABILITATION

Protecting Properties and saving lives, plus more
Kevin L. Farmer, PE - National Program Manager
USDA NRCS, Washington DC
202-720-3413

Watershed Rehabilitation
Program

Provides federal assistance towards completing

work necessary to extend the service life of USDA
assisted dams and to ensure that they meet
applicable safety and performance standards.

Watershed Rehabilitation
Program
The rehabilitation work may result in:
Protecting the integrity or extending the life of a
dam
Correcting catastrophic damages
Correcting the abnormal deterioration of structural
components
Upgrading the dam to meet changed land use
conditions or new safety criteria
Removal of the structure and stabilizing the site
Increased water supply

Equal Opportunity Initiatives

Equal treatment of groups protected by the Civil Rights
Act
Equal access to the benefits of the Watershed Program
Watershed Rehabilitation Program complies with
Executive Order 12898
Watershed Rehabilitation Program complies with
Departmental Regulation 5600-002

NRCS Watershed Rehab

Program Stories

NRCS - OK Tribal
Rock Creek Site #2
Watershed Rehabilitation project located in the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

Promise Zone Community

OK - Rehab Assistance
(Promise Zone Area)
Watershed Rehabilitation
Project
Rock Creek Dam
#2

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma

City of Talihina (Project Sponsor)
$6.4million in watershed rehab
funding.
Address rural water supply
need.
Talihina, OK

Supports infrastructure strategy

for economic growth.
Supports Presidents Promise
Zone Initiative

OK - Rehab Assistance
(Promise Zone Area)
City of Talihina Demographics
Rock Creek Dam
#2

Race

Population
516

%
46.3

444

39.9

101

9.1

31

2.8

Black

21

1.9

Asian

White
American Indian
Two or more
races
Hispanic

Talihina, OK

Total Population

0.09

1,114

34% of residents living in poverty

Median household income: $21,278
Source city-data.com

NRCS - TN Limited Resource

Pine Creek Site #2
Watershed Rehabilitation project located in the Scott County Tennessee

Strike Force County

TN - Rehab Assistance
(Strike Force Community)

Watershed Rehabilitation
Project
Scott County, TN Strike Force

Pine Creek Dam

#4

Entrenched long-term economic

conditions
City of Oneida (Project Sponsor)
$2.4million in watershed rehab
funding.
Oneida, TN

Address rural water supply

need.
Reduce treatment cost of
polluted existing raw water
supply.

TN - Rehab Assistance
(Strike Force Community)
Pine Creek Dam
#1

Oneida, TN

City of Oneida Demographics

Populatio
Race
n
White
3,655
American Indian
4
Two or more
51
races
Hispanic
33
Other
2
Asian
7
Total Population
3,752

%
97%
0.1%
1.4%
0.9%
0.1%
0.2%

27% of residents living in poverty

Median household income: $25,432
Source city-data.com

Watershed Rehab Program

Status
As of March 2015:
274 - approved projects

(in 30 States)

131 - completed projects

(in 21 States)

61 - projects are being implemented

82 projects being planned

(in 16 States)

(in 24 States)

Watershed Program
Overview
Since 1948:
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) has assisted watershed project sponsors in the
construction of more than 11,800 flood control dams
in 1,300 watersheds in 47 States.
These projects provide an estimated $2.2 billion in
annual benefits in reduced flooding and erosion
damages, recreation, water supplies and wildlife
habitat.

Rehab Summary
NRCS is authorized to provide sponsors with technical and financial
assistance for rehabilitating their dams.
Rehabilitation is to extend the service life of the dams, bring them into
compliance with safety standards, or to decommission the dams threat
to life and property.
NRCS provides technical assistance and 65 percent cost share
The 2014 Farm Bill authorized $250 million in mandatory funds and
Congress appropriated an additional $12 million in discretionary funding
for FY 2014.
Many of the 11,800 flood control dams were built in the 1960s-70s and
now are 40 to 50+ years old.

United States Department of Agriculture

If You Have Questions, Please Contact

Your Local Natural Resources Conservation
Service office at www.nrcs.usda.gov

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer