September 17, 2024 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, applauded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) invitations to seven California groups to apply for a combined $2.04 billion in low-cost, long-term flexible loans for borrowers to maintain, upgrade, and repair non-federal dams.

The available funding comes through the Corps Water Infrastructure Financing Program (CWIFP), which was created by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) of 2014 and authorizes USACE to provide credit assistance — direct loans or loan guarantees — to eligible borrowers for water resource projects. The CWIFP inaugural round is currently limited to dam safety projects that are non-federally owned, operated, and maintained.

“Californians know firsthand the growing dangers of extreme flooding,” said Senator Padilla. “With climate change increasing the severity of flooding events, the safety of our communities and the resiliency of our power grid and water supply depend on fortifying and repairing aging dam infrastructure. I applaud the Army Corps for inviting entities across California to apply for over $2 billion in potential investments in critical water infrastructure, limiting dam failure risks and saving lives.”

“This new low-interest loan program is a monumental step towards improving the safety of our nation’s dams as many dam owners cannot afford the high cost of dam rehabilitation. Having a loan program with a significant level of funding dedicated to dam safety will help accelerate the repair of dams, reduce the risk of dam failures, and ensure that our dams are resilient and able to perform well under extreme loading conditions, such as major floods and earthquakes,” said Sharon Tapia, P.E., President, Association of State Dam Safety Officials and Division Manager, California Division of Safety of Dams.

California entities invited to apply for financing for critical dam safety projects across the state include:

• Santa Clara Valley Water District Public Facilities Financing Corporation:$660.7 million for their Dam Safety Program (DSP)
• Public Utilities Commission of the City and County of San Francisco (SFPUC): $622.2 million for the SFPUC Dam Safety and Resilience Program
• City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power: $251.7 million for the Tinemaha Dam Replacement Project (TDRP) and $47.9 million for the Bouquet Canyon Auxiliary Spillway Improvement Project
• City of San Diego: $243.5 million for dam improvements
• California Department of Water Resources: $176 million for State Water Project Dam Safety Projects
• South Sutter Water District: $22.2 million for the Camp Far West Reservoir Auxiliary Spillway and Pool Raise Project
• City of Napa: $18.3 million for Hennessey Spillway Flow Expansion

CWIFP mirrors the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) popular WIFIA program, which were both created by Congress to provide new tools to leverage limited federal resources, stimulate additional investment in our nation’s water resources infrastructure, and support local water resources projects. 

Senator Padilla previously led a bipartisan letter urging USACE to commit to review loan applications under the same timelines as EPA’s parallel WIFIA program, which has already closed more than 100 loans totaling $17 billion. Padilla is a staunch advocate for dam safety, introducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Dam Safety Program through FY 2028 to protect thousands of high-risk dams across the country from failure.

More information on the CWIFP and a full list of project applicants invited to apply can be found here.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla