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Dozens of California dams need repair as El Niño winter draws closer
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- California's aging dams pose significant public safety risks, especially in the Bay Area, San Diego, and Los Angeles, with 57 dams currently in poor or unsatisfactory condition and 40 classified as high or extremely high hazard.
- The State Auditor warns that failure of these dams could endanger up to 1.5 million people and cause over $265 billion in economic damage.
- Despite lawmakers granting enforcement powers in 2017 to penalize dam owners for safety violations, the California Department of Water Resources has yet to take punitive actions, and many dam owners likely cannot afford necessary repairs.
- Funding for dam repairs remains insufficient, with recent grants totaling under $500 million, while estimated repair costs are around $28 billion, prompting calls for stricter deadlines, expanded enforcement authority, and potential dam decommissioning.
- Emergency planning is incomplete, as the Governor’s Office of Emergency Service has not approved plans for 245 dams, with no state-mandated deadlines for revisions, raising concerns ahead of a potentially heavy El Niño winter.
