Plum Creek Conservation District seeks permit exemption to speed dam repairs; panel hears support

Senate Bill 18 was presented on behalf of Plum Creek Conservation District to ease permitting delays that can impede dam and reservoir repairs. The district’s manager, Daniel Meyer, told the committee Plum Creek sponsored 28 flood-control dams built in the 1960s and experienced delays during drought and in the permitting process when rehabbing structures. He said the delays can leave dams “more vulnerable to erosion and to possible failure.”

Under the bill, qualified districts could use a permanent exemption to save time when diverting surface waters from reservoirs to complete work on dams and reservoirs, or to build small holding areas for erosion, floodwater or sediment control. Meyer said the change would lower project costs and provide contractors with the water certainty they need to proceed with rehabilitation.

The committee left the bill pending. Meyer said the measure had been unanimous in the Senate Natural Resources Committee and nearly unanimous on the House floor in a prior session; he asked the House committee to advance it to remove red tape and allow local conservation districts to maintain risk-reduction infrastructure efficiently.

Ending: Plum Creek Conservation District urged the committee to approve an exemption to streamline repairs and reduce the risk of delays that could expose dams to greater vulnerability.