Virginia will award $726,000 in grants to support 57 dam safety and flood protection activities around the state.
Grants are provided through the Virginia Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund. The fund was established to provide 50-50 matching grants to both public and private dam owners whose dams are under state regulation and to local communities to improve strategies for flood prevention and protection.
The Virginia Resources Authority manages the fund on behalf of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Grants are awarded through a competitive application process and approved by the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board.
DCR regulates more than 2,500 dams, and the majority are privately owned. DCR’s Dam Safety staff helps dam owners comply with state regulations and serves as a resource for the engineering community and emergency responders.
“National Dam Safety Awareness Day is May 31 and, as we reflect on this day, it’s important to remember that flooding is the most common and costly natural hazard,” DCR Director Clyde Cristman said. “These matching grants will help make communities safer and more resilient to the extreme weather we are experiencing more frequently because of climate change.”
Among the dams being funded is Hidden Valley Estates Dam in Grayson County, which received two grants. The first, a $26,043 funding will repair, replace/install low level draining devices or siphon systems. An additional $5,950 will be used for engineering for flow control evaluation.
Wythe County’s Reed Creek Dam received $5,175 for an inundation zone analysis, mapping and digitization.
