미국 농무부는 가뭄으로 영향받는 지역에 물 공급을 확대할 수 있도록 댐을 재활할 것이라며, 전국 23개 주의 댐 회복·평가를 위해 7천300만 달러를 투자할 것이라고 발표했다.

 

이번 평가는 미국 전 지역 23개 주에서 약 150프로젝트 및 평가의 자금을 지원받을 수 있다.

 

미국 톰 빌색 장관은 "수백만 국민을 홍수로부터 보호하기 위해 유역 댐에 의존하고 안전한 식수를 제공할 수 있다"며 "이 중요한 인프라에 투자하여 농업생산 및 농촌지역 주민들의 안전한 환경을 보장할 수 있다"고 말했다.

 

 

 

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it will be investing $73 million this year to rehabilitate and assess dams across the nation in an effort to ensure that this critical infrastructure is protecting Americans from harm, securing public health and expanding water supplies in drought-affected areas. About 150 projects and assessments in 23 states will be funded.

 

"Millions of people depend on watersheds and dams for protection from floods and to provide safe drinking water. With a changing and shifting climate, dams are also vital to holding stores of water for use during drought," said Secretary Tom Vilsack. "By investing in this critical infrastructure, we are helping to ensure a safe, resilient environment for agricultural producers and residents of rural America."

 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Assistant Chief Kirk Hanlin highlighted this round of watershed rehabilitation funding today near the city of Alpine, Utah, where work is planned on Tibble Fork Dam to increase the water supply and improve flood damage protection for surrounding communities. This project is one of 19 in Utah that will receive nearly $30 million in overall funding.

 

Last year, NRCS made changes to the Watershed Rehabilitation Program (WRP) to allow for projects that also help increase water supply (see "USDA to repair dams in 26 states through watershed rehabilitation funding"). Half of this year's dam assessments, including 15 in drought-stricken California, will assess the feasibility of using watershed rehabilitation funds to mitigate drought.

 

This investment follows the Obama Administration's call last year for federal agencies to increase investments in infrastructure to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and improve the competitiveness of the American economy. There are nearly 12,000 dams across the United States. In addition to nearly 50 rehabilitation projects, NRCS is conducting 100 dam assessments in 13 states through the WRP.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2015년 4월 9일]