The Watershed Rehabilitation Program helps project sponsors rehabilitate aging dams that are reaching the end of their design lives. This rehabilitation addresses critical public health and safety concerns. Since 1948, the Natural Resources Conservation Service NRCS has assisted local sponsors in constructing 11,845 dams project dams.
Rehabilitation Project Highlight
Brandywine Creek PA-436F Hibernia Dam , Chester County, PA
Chambers Lake Reservoir are located on Birch Run in West Caln Township, Chester County PA. Hibernia Dam provides tremendous benefits to the community including flood control, improved water quality through sediment and erosion control, recreation, municipal water supply, and incidental wildlife habitat. Rehabilitation of Hibernia Dam was completed through the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, which helps units of government address public health and safety concerns associated with aging dams.
Brandywine PA-436F Hibernia Dam and Chambers Lake Reservoir are located on Birch Run in West Caln Township, Chester County PA. Hibernia Dam provides tremendous benefits to the community including flood control, improved water quality through sediment and erosion control, recreation, municipal water supply, and incidental wildlife habitat. Rehabilitation of Hibernia Dam was completed through the Watershed Rehabilitation Program, which helps units of government address public health and safety concerns associated with aging dams.
Chester County Water Resources Authority, the local County sponsor, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) partnered on the $1 million rehabilitation construction project.
The dam was constructed in 1994 as a high hazard potential dam with a 50-year service life. Prior to the rehabilitation, Hibernia Dam no longer met current state or Federal design criteria and performance standards. The dam was rehabilitated to maintain flood protection, recreation, and water supply for the local communities. Hibernia Dam’s rehabilitation includes a new rock filter toe, regrading of the downstream bench, and installation of a concrete cutoff wall in the auxiliary spillway. These structural repairs will increase the integrity of the dam and significantly lower any risks to public safety and health.
Construction was completed in October 2020.
Previous Highlights
Upper Deckers Creek Site 1 (UDC1) Dam is located on the West Virginia University JW Ruby Research Farm in Reedsville, WV and provides tremendous benefits to the community including flood control, improved water quality through sediment and erosion control, improved wildlife habitat, and increased water supply. Rehabilitation of UDC 1 is occurring through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program, which helps units of government protect and restore watersheds.
Federal, state, and local conservation agencies partnered on the dam rehabilitation project; including, Monongahela Conservation District (MCD), Preston County Public Service District (PSD1), WV Department Natural Resources (WV DNR), West Virginia University (WVU), West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA), and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The $8 million rehabilitation construction project is cost shared by NRCS, WVCA, and PSD1.
The dam was constructed in 1969 as a significant hazard potential; but, is now classified as high hazard potential and no longer meets current state or Federal design criteria and performance standards. The dam is being rehabilitated to maintain flood protection and adding a dedicated raw water supply volume for local communities. The UDC1 rehabilitation includes a new principal spillway intake structure, extension of the principal spillway conduit, modification of the dam embankment to serve as an auxiliary spillway with the addition of an over-the-top roller compacted concrete (RCC) armored, stepped structural spillway, addition of a filtered drainage system, flattening of the downstream embankment slope for stability, and filling/abandoning the existing auxiliary spillway. These structural repairs will increase the integrity of the dam and significantly lower any risks to public safety and health and provide a dedicated raw water supply volume for PSD1 and its customers.
Construction is scheduled for completion in late May 2020.
Local sponsors request funding assistance from NRCS when a potential rehabilitation project is identified. NRCS is committed to cost sharing the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects contingent upon available funding. NRCS selects projects based on the risks to life and property if a dam failure were to occur. See the list FY 2021 of projects.
Local sponsors request funding assistance from NRCS when a potential rehabilitation project is identified. NRCS is committed to cost sharing the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects contingent upon available funding. NRCS selects projects based on the risks to life and property if a dam failure were to occur. See the list FY 2020 of projects.
Benefits of Watershed Rehabilitation
Across the Nation, watershed projects provide an estimated annual benefit of $2.2 billion in reduced flooding and erosion damage and improved wildlife habitat, recreation, and water supply for an estimated 47 million people. These projects provide additional benefits, such as improved water quality through sediment and erosion control. Watershed rehabilitation projects can also create rural economic growth and job opportunities.
In addition to dam rehabilitation assistance, NRCS maintains a robust dam safety program.NRCS GeoObserver for Dams is a geospatial dam monitoring tool that helps NRCS engineers keep up-to-date information for the National Inventory of Dams. NRCS DamWatch provides NRCS engineers and local project sponsors with web-based monitoring of dams during rainfall, snowmelt, or seismic events.
Watershed Rehabilitation and Drought
The Watershed Rehabilitation Program allows sponsors to build or augment existing water supplies. More than 80 rehabilitation projects being planned may include increases in water storage capacity. Once built, these projects would protect the lives and property of more than 119,000 people and boost resilience to climate change.
Engineering
Video: NRCS–Using new technology to keep dams safe | U.S. Engineering Solutions
NRCS has a video on how to use DamWatch to assist in monitoring than 11,800 dams across 47 states and Puerto Rico. The video is hosted by Larry Caldwell, formerly with NRCS and the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
NRCS and Project Sponsors
Watershed project sponsors represent interests of the local community in federally assisted watershed projects. Sponsors request financial assistance from NRCS. When funding is allocated, the sponsor and NRCS enter into an agreement that defines the roles and responsibilities of each party to complete the rehabilitation project.
A watershed plan is developed for each project to address environmental impacts, costs, benefits, planned conservation practices, and the responsibilities of involved parties. A variety of agencies and organizations can assist sponsors with developing a plan.
NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to sponsors and assists them with the planning, design, and construction of the projects.
Project sponsors are responsible for and agree to carry out specific parts of the project, including:
Obtaining landrights
Obtaining required permits
Overseeing operation and maintenance throughout the evaluated life of the project (generally 100 years)
Monitoring easement encroachment
Meeting permitting requirements
Developing and updating emergency action plans for high-hazard dams
Conducting regular inspections of installed works of improvements, and
Working with regulatory agencies (dam safety agency)
ehabilitation project; including, Monongahela Conservation District (MCD), Preston County Public Service District (PSD1), WV Department Natural Resources (WV DNR), West Virginia University (WVU), West Virginia Conservation Agency (WVCA), and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The $8 million rehabilitation construction project is cost shared by NRCS, WVCA, and PSD1.
