USDA-NRCS Awards Dam Rehabilitation Contract for Site No. 15 of the
Nolan Creek Watershed in Bell County

Temple, Texas – November 5, 2007.  The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has awarded a contract to rehabilitate floodwater retarding structure No. 15 in the Nolan Creek Watershed, Bell County, Texas. The $1.08 million rehabilitation project will began in mid-October and will be completed in April 2008.

Floodwater retarding structure No. 15 is a watershed dam that needs to be rehabilitated to maintain its present flood control benefits and comply with current dam performance and safety standards. When constructed in 1972, the watershed dam was in a rural area of Bell County, but the area is now influenced by population growth and land development.
“Since a failure of the dam would result in potential loss of life and significant damage to downstream infrastructure and properties, both NRCS and the State of Texas have reclassified the dam from low hazard to high hazard,” said Steve Bednarz, NRCS assistant state conservationist for water resources in Temple, Texas. “Rehabilitation is needed to protect downstream properties and infrastructure and reduce the risk of loss of life by upgrading the dam to current safety standards for high hazard dams.”

Since the 1940s, NRCS has assisted watershed sponsors in construction of nearly 2,000 watershed dams in 145 watershed projects across Texas as part of upstream flood control authorized by Public Law 83-566. Many dams have reached or are nearing their evaluated life of 50 years.

Watershed sponsors, who originally constructed the dam with NRCS technical and financial assistance, are covering a portion of the rehabilitation cost through in-kind services. “Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 6 has taken a proactive role in obtaining donated materials needed for the rehabilitation of Nolan Creek No. 15 to help fund its share of the construction cost,” said Don Gohmert, NRCS state conservationist for Texas. “Without local sponsorship, these much-needed rehabilitation projects would not be possible.”

The other sponsor for the project is the Central Texas Soil and Water Conservation District.

“It’s a great opportunity for our local taxpayers to get government assistance to upgrade Site No. 15 and not rely on taxing support,” said Glen Grandy, president of Bell County Water Control and Improvement District No. 6. “The government cost share is a big help to get our aging dams brought back to good condition.”

The rehabilitation project is authorized under the authority of Public Law 106-472, the Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments of 2000, which amends Public Law 83-566, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act. Once completed, the evaluated life of the dam will be extended for an additional 100 years.

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