The House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit is taking a look at ways to improve at least 65% of the nation's watersheds.  Without action, says Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK), watershed structures may have to be removed or life and property will be endangered.

"Rehabilitating these aging watershed dams is something we are all faced with in this country," Lucas told the panel.  "Most were built to last 50 years, an anniversary more than 1,300 dams nationwide will have reached in the next 10 years.  Now is the time to address these infrastructure needs."

His bill would begin a 10-year rehabilitation process in 2000 with the Secretary of Agriculture assessing which upstream flood control structures would be in need of the most immediate attention.

The bill authorizes $60 million per year for rehabilitation such as repairs to crumbling concrete, rusted pipework and release valves as well as sediment buildup.

Federal funds now are used to construct the dams, but under current law "there is no federal authority for funds to rehabilitate them," Lucas continued.  "This is a problem since many localities do not have the ability to address" rehabilitation on their own.

Water losses through seepage and evaporation amount to as much as 35% of the water delivered for irrigation, according to subcommittee Chairman bill Barrett (R-NE).  "This project is extremely important to farmers and residents and would provide the needed conservation of water resources in the surrounding area."

Lucas said, "If we take no action to rehabilitate, we will be left with the cost of removing these structures or faced with witnessing endangerment to life and property as these dams continue to age, and we would definitely watch our $8.5 billion investment in this successful partnership ‘wash’away."