Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund repairs of major dams in Montana and California
Construction at B.F. Sisk Dam.
WASHINGTON – Reclamation today announced a $5.5 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair the Willow Creek Dam in Montana and the B.F. Sisk Dam in California as part of the Investing in America agenda.
Willow Creek Dam in Montana will use $2.1 million to fund temporary spillway improvements by installing rock in the spillway to reduce risk of spillway erosion until a permanent dam safety modification is completed. Construction will include purchase and placement of 9,100 cubic yards of rock. Reclamation will reserve another 900 cubic yards on site for flood fighting activities. Reclamation’s project stakeholder, Greenfields Irrigation District, will perform the work.
B.F. Sisk Dam in California will use $3.4 million to modify the Phase 1 contract, to adapt to delays caused by high precipitation levels in 2023. Reclamation worked with the contractor to adapt to these difficult conditions by modifying the contract to allow for the utilization of construction methods that could be safely executed at higher reservoir elevations. The project previously received a $100 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, Reclamation is able to fund vital dam repairs, safeguarding local water supplies and paving the way for sustainable, reliable infrastructure for generations to come,” said Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Reclamation’s dam safety program has been improving the safety of dams for decades, and these new investments are vital to ensure the maintenance and advancement of this essential program.”
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda represents the largest investment in climate resilience in the nation’s history and is providing much-needed resources to enhance Western communities’ resilience to drought and climate change. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Reclamation is investing a total of $8.3 billion over five years for water infrastructure projects, including rural water, water storage, conservation and conveyance, nature-based solutions, dam safety, water purification and reuse, and desalination. Since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed in November 2021, Reclamation has announced almost $3 billion for 425 projects.
Reclamation implemented the Dam Safety Program in 1978 with passage of the Reclamation Safety of Dams Act. Program development and administration are overseen by Reclamation's Dam Safety Office located in Denver, Colorado. Dams must be operated and maintained in a safe manner, ensured through inspections for safety deficiencies, analyses utilizing current technologies, and corrective actions if needed based on current engineering practices.
