Dam Rehabilitation/Removal Grant Program for Municipally Owned High Hazard Dams

The Dam Rehabilitation/Removal Grant Program for Municipally Owned High Hazard Dams is a new, statewide funding opportunity being established to support the reconstruction, rehabilitation or removal of municipally owned high hazard dams, which have been determined to be in Poor or Unsatisfactory condition, to make them compliant with current state dam safety standards or remove them and eliminate the risk to life and property that they pose. Rehabilitation/removing such dams will reduce or eliminate risk to lives and property within potentially inundated areas downstream of those dams.

New Hampshire’s municipalities own 218 dams. Forty-nine of them are classified as High Hazard Dams because their failure would cause flooding that would inundate houses or other occupied structures downstream and likely cause loss of life. Of these, 16 are currently rated in Poor condition. There are no municipally owned dams currently rated in Unsatisfactory condition.

This grant program will utilize ARPA funds to award approximately $5 million in grants (no match required) in 2022.

Eligible applicants include New Hampshire municipalities and municipal subdivisions that own one or more high hazard dams rated in Poor or Unsatisfactory condition. Multiple applications from the same municipality, in conformance with the funding limitations outlined below, will be considered.

The amount of funding requested for any project should reflect the scope and needs of the proposed project and must not exceed $1 million for any qualifying dam. Total project cost may exceed $1 million per project, however, a maximum of $1 million will be reimbursed. NHDES will not reimburse work completed prior to the grant approval. Activities associated with typical upkeep and maintenance needs, or other work not directly associated with planning or executing work related to compliance with current dam safety regulations, are not eligible.

How to Apply

Complete and submit an application via the online application form with a deadline of Friday, July 29, at 4 PM. Please refer to the Application Instructions and Evaluation Criteria as you fill out your application.

Application Webinar

An informational webinar was on June 22, 2022, to describe this funding opportunity in more detail and answer questions. View a recording of the webinar. Please note that only 15 municipally owned dams qualify for this funding opportunity; see a list of these dams

Contact:

Steve N. Doyon, P.E.
steve.n.doyon@des.nh.gov
(603) 271-1966