High Hazard Potential Dams Rehabilitation Grant

The fiscal year 2024 fall application review period for the National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) grant has been extended through May.

DHEC HIGH HAZARD POTENTIAL DAMS REHABILITATION GRANT FY 2024 

Through the Rehabilitation of High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) Grant Program, FEMA’s National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) has made federal funds available to states for FFY24 for pass through to non-Federal governmental organizations or nonprofit organizations to rehabilitate eligible HHPDs that fail to meet minimum state dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to life and property. DHEC is in the process of applying for the FFY24 grant and, if receiving funds, will offer subawards to eligible applicants for activities that promote the goals of the federal grant program. Once DHEC receives an award, the Dam Safety Program will provide its own Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for subaward applications for eligible state-regulated dams. While state-specific criteria and the final list of state-eligible dams have yet to be determined, minimum federal project eligibility criteria can be found in the FFY24 FEMA Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Dam owners and potential project sponsors are encouraged to review this information and beginning planning potential dam rehabilitation, removal, or mitigation projects as soon as possible.

FY 2024 Grant Informational Webinar

DHEC’s Dam Safety Program hosted an informational webinar April 10, 2024 on the FFY24 grant subaward application process. A recording of the webinar is available here

Presentation slides:

FY2024 HHPD Dams Program Webinar

 

Topics covered included:

  • Background and available funds
  • Dam eligibility
  • Applicant eligibility
  • Eligible/allowable activities
  • Grant application process and timeline
  • DHEC’s application review and award selection process
  • State and Federal requirements of a grant award

Questions about the grant and webinar can be directed to mccainjm@dhec.sc.gov 

Grant Overview

DHEC is applying for funding under the FFY 2024 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) High Hazard Potential Dams (HHPD) Rehabilitation Grant Program. In order to reduce the risks posed by unsafe South Carolina High Hazard Potential dams, DHEC intends to offer subawards to eligible project sponsors for planning, design, and construction activities on select High Hazard Potential dams that meet eligibility requirements. Interested dam owners and sponsor applicants should review the FFY24 federal eligibility criteria below. Additional criteria may apply to state subawards. Eligible sponsors will submit one subaward application per dam. All subawards will be disbursed as reimbursements for eligible activities. 

FFY24 FEMA Notice of Funding Opportunity for HHPD Rehab Grants

Application Documents

  • State FFY24 Notice of Funding Opportunity and supporting documents will be made available after DHEC receives a FEMA award

Period of Performance

The Period of Performance refers to the period of time during which eligible activities within an approved Scope of Work may occur and be considered eligible for reimbursement under the FEMA HHPD Grant Program. Subawards issued under the FY2024 HHPD Grant must comply with the announced Period of Performance and no work done outside of that period will be reimbursed.

Eligible Dams

For a dam to be eligible for funds from this grant program, the dam must:

  • Meet the federal definition of “dam” found at 33 U.S. Code § 467 
  • Be classified as a “High Hazard Potential” dam by the State’s Dam Safety Program
  • Have been determined by the State to fail to meet minimum state dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public and have a condition assessment rating of POOR or UNSATISFACTORY as identified in the National Inventory of Dams (NID) no later than 9/15/2023. Dams with FAIR condition assessment and a Population at Risk (PAR) >1,000 may be eligible. 
  • Have a State Dam Safety Program-approved Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place or a plan pending approval by the relevant state dam safety agency that is in conformance with state law
  • Not be federally-owned or regulated and not have been originally constructed under the authority of the US Secretary of Agriculture
  • Not be a federally licensed hydroelectric dam
  • Have deficiencies that are not solely the result of deferred (or a lack of) maintenance

The initial list of FFY2024 dams that meet eligibility requirements is below but is subject to further FEMA review and final eligibility is subject to change.

Dam Name

NID ID

State ID

County

Lake Lanier Dam

SC00001

D3984

Greenville

Eureka Lake Dam

SC00028

D3225

Chesterfield

Lake Columbia Dam

SC00046

D0549

Richland

Pinewood Lake Dam

SC00055

D0580

Richland

Springwood Lake Dam

SC00090

D0558

Richland

Andrew Jackson St Pk Lake

SC00131

D1777

Lancaster

Silver Lake Dam

SC00180

D0986

Lexington

Flat Rock Pond Dam

SC00291

D0002

Aiken

Sudlow Lake Dam

SC00293

D1993

Aiken

Lake Florence Dam

SC00298

D1996

Aiken

Ruesch Pond Dam

SC00412

D3760

Orangeburg

Chattooga Lake Dam

SC00519

D1637

Oconee

Beaverdam Millpond Dam

SC00619

D3512

Darlington

Lake Wallace Dam

SC00641

D0021

Marlboro

Charlotte Bourne Dam

SC00649

D3428

Marlboro

Caldwell Lake Dam

SC00663

D1230

York

Upper York Reservoir Dam

SC00665

D1227

York

Silver Lake Dam

SC00735

D3346

Spartanburg

Virginia Taylor Dam

SC00750

D3355

Spartanburg

Moss Grove Plant Dam 1

SC00960

D3467

Berkeley

Batesburg Reservoir Dam

SC01180

D1180

Lexington

Upper Windsor Lake Dam

SC01293

D0570

Richland

Second Millpond Dam

SC01424

D1444

Sumter

Paradise Pond Dam

SC01594

D2629

Calhoun

Barnwell St Park Lwr Dam

SC01667

D3062

Barnwell

Folks Upper Pond Dam

SC01675

D3052

Barnwell

Bruce Lake Dam

SC01758

D2857

Greenville

Parkins Lake Dam

SC01774

D2875

Greenville

Moon Lake Dam

SC01800

D2911

Greenville

Chatham Lake Dam

SC01869

D3219

Chesterfield

Town Pond Dam

SC01912

D3170

Chesterfield

Praters Pond Dam

SC02109

D3713

Orangeburg

Lower Santee Shores Dam

SC02123

D3746

Orangeburg

Livingstons Lake Dam

SC02137

D3770

Orangeburg

Heritage Lake Dam

SC02154

D3648

York

R Milliken Pond 1 Dam

SC02238

D3313

Spartanburg

Gibson Pond Dam

SC02243

D3319

Spartanburg

Greenwood West Pond Dam

SC02264

D4039

Abbeville

Creekside East Pond Dam

SC02372

D4058

Greenwood

Woodlake Dam

SC02466

D4083

Richland

Nine Times Dam

SC02503

D4239

Pickens

Barnwell St Park Upr Dam

SC02630

D4374

Barnwell

Summit Dam 6

SC02691

D4439

Richland

Eligible Applicants

This program is exclusive to non-Federal government entities (e.g., State, County, and Municipal governments; special purpose districts) and non-profit organizations that are registered as 501(c)(3) non-profits with the Internal Revenue Service.  Private dam owners cannot apply directly, and any applications received from a private dam owner will be rejected; however, an eligible applicant can apply for an HHPD grant on any eligible dam, including dams that are privately owned. 

Eligible Projects

The HHPD Grant Program allows federal funds to be utilized on various activities aimed at planning, investigations, preliminary engineering, engineering design, and construction on projects that seek to reduce the overall risk posed by high hazard dams that fail to meet minimum dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public.  Example activities are eligible for funding:

Category Activity
Preparedness Planning -Development of evacuation plans, plans for flood fighting, or community response plans to include in the floodplain management plan
-Coordination of Emergency Action Plan (“EAP”) and Emergency Operations Plan (“EOP”) for different release conditions
Planning -Activities and studies that determine risks associated with eligible dams 
-Environmental studies for National Environmental Policy Act compliance
-Development of operation and maintenance plans
Preliminary Engineering -Dam risk and consequence assessments 
-Feasibility studies
-Alternatives analysis
-Preliminary engineering studies 
-Mapping, engineering survey, and inundation modeling
Engineering Design -Engineering design 
-Development of drawings and specifications
Outreach and Risk Communication -Public education and awareness of flood risks associated with the eligible dam project
Construction

-Repair or rehabilitation of the dam 
-Dam removal
-Construction monitoring
-Installation of early warning systems associated with the eligible dam project


Key Points to Understand Before Starting an Application

  1. Subawards cannot provide funds in advance of work being performed. This is a reimbursement-only program -- only eligible costs that have been incurred, paid for, and properly documented will be reimbursed.
  2. Subawards cannot pay for any pre-award activities (i.e., any costs incurred before a grant is awarded are not eligible for reimbursement).
  3. Subawards cannot pay for work to correct deficiencies that represent deferred maintenance or a lack thereof (e.g., tree removal).
  4. Subawards cannot pay for any activities associated with a breached dam.  Breached dams are already in a very low-risk condition, and thus do not align with this grant program’s overall goal of reducing the risk posed by dams that fail to meet minimum dam safety standards and pose an unacceptable risk to the public.
  5. Subawards cannot pay for final design engineering unless all preliminary engineering -- including a complete risk analysis and evaluation of rehabilitation alternatives -- has previously been completed. Please consult with SC DHEC before preparing a grant application that proposes final design engineering.
  6. This HHPD grant requires the county in which the dam is located to update its County Hazard Mitigation Plan to incorporate “all dam risks”.  At the time of this Notice, only Anderson, Oconee, and Spartanburg counties have a Hazard Mitigation Plan that meets this requirement.  Therefore, close coordination with your County officials will be necessary.  A letter from County officials to FEMA requesting a 12-month extension to update the County Hazard Mitigation Plan is a requirement of a complete application. Failure to receive FEMA approval of the updated County Plan by the 12-month extension deadline will require all federal funds be repaid.
  7. Subawards require a match of at least 35% in the form of non-federal funds and/or in-kind services.  The non-federal match must come from the applicant.
  8. A privately-owned dam may be eligible, but the owner cannot apply directly.  A non-federal government (i.e., state, county, municipal) or a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization are the only entities eligible to apply. An eligible applicant may choose to sponsor a privately-owned dam solely at its own discretion and at its own risk.
  9. Dam removals are considered “rehabilitation” under this program; therefore, the pre-construction activities associated with dam removal are eligible.  Furthermore, DHEC will give priority to any applications that propose dam removal.
  10. All applicable federal standards and requirements must be satisfied for the awarded HHPD grant and any subawards. Failure to comply with federal grant requirements in the execution of a grant award may result in termination of the grant agreement and collection of some or all federal funds received. Interested applicants not familiar with federal grant requirements are strongly advised to carefully review the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions and Summary of Federal Compliance Requirements before applying.
  11. A licensed Professional Engineer (PE) registered in South Carolina must assist in the preparation of your subaward grant application.  The costs associated with application development are not eligible for reimbursement. Furthermore, engineering services funded from a HHPD grant must be procured in compliance with all federal and state procurement requirements and the applicant’s own procurement policies.  Therefore, the engineer assisting with application preparation will not necessarily be the same engineer performing work funded through a grant award.

Questions?

E-mail response@dhec.sc.gov and the Dam Safety Program staff will provide assistance.