This bill expands the use of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to authorize the rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of certain older dams originally authorized under the Carey Act.
James Risch
Senator
ID
This bill amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to expand eligibility for certain water infrastructure funds under the Carey Act. Specifically, it authorizes the Secretary to use these funds for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, or replacement of older dams originally authorized under the Act of August 18, 1894. This funding can only be used after confirming that necessary rehabilitation work on these eligible dams is already secured through other means.
Historic Dam Safety Gets Funding Boost: New Bill Expands Eligibility for Infrastructure Cash
This bill is a quick, surgical amendment to the massive Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Specifically, it tweaks the rules for how certain federal funds (the money mentioned in Section 40901(2)(B) of the IIJA) can be used for water projects. The core change? It opens the door for these funds to be used to fix, rebuild, or replace dams that were originally constructed way back under the 1894 Carey Act and are still operating today. Think of it as earmarking some of the big infrastructure pot for very specific, very old pieces of water management history.
The Fine Print: Unlocking Funds for Century-Old Infrastructure
For most people, the Carey Act is just ancient history, but for many Western states, these old dams are critical for irrigation and water storage. The problem is that century-old infrastructure requires constant, expensive maintenance. This amendment directly addresses that by making these specific historic dams eligible for a slice of the IIJA funding. This is great news for the local water districts or entities that own and operate these structures, as they often struggle to secure the massive capital needed for a full replacement or rehabilitation project.
The Catch: Two Hurdles for the Secretary
While the bill expands eligibility, it doesn't just hand out checks. Before the Secretary (likely of the Interior) can approve using this IIJA money on one of these historic dams, they have to clear two administrative hurdles. First, they need to confirm that the dam has already secured funding through other means to finish the work. Second, the Secretary must confirm that the specific IIJA money (Section 40901(2)(B) funds) is actually still available to spend. This dual requirement is interesting—it seems designed to ensure that this federal money acts as a supplement or a gap-filler, not the primary funding source, and only gets used once the project is already guaranteed to be finished.
Real-World Impact: Keeping the Water Flowing
What does this mean on the ground? It means safer infrastructure and more reliable water access. If you’re a farmer relying on irrigation from a reservoir held back by a 130-year-old dam, this bill is about ensuring that dam doesn't fail. For the average taxpayer, it’s about making sure that existing federal infrastructure money is being used efficiently to address critical safety needs in water management. This is a technical, administrative fix, but it has a very real-world goal: keeping old, essential dams operational and safe, which is a low-key win for everyone who drinks water or eats food grown with it.