Washington, D.C.--U.S. Sixth District Congressman Frank Lucas today introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would address the issue of rehabilitation of the nation's small, aging watershed programs. The bill is titled the 'Small Watershed Rehabilitation Amendments Act of 1998.'

His attention to this problem was sparked by the recent 50th anniversary of the nation's first small watershed dam structure outside Cordell, Oklahoma--Cloud Creek Site No. 1. Many of these structures across the nation are reaching their maximum expected life span and are becoming less effective and in some cases dangerous to nearby citizens and their property.

"The 'Small Watershed Amendments of 1998' provides a responsible legislative proposal aimed at addressing the infrastructure needs of our aging watershed dams," Lucas said. "It defines the problems, calls for an assessment of the problem, creates a cost-share program to address the need and authorizes funding of the program."

The bill authorizes $60 million a year from 1999 to 2008 and requires the Secretary of the Agriculture to establish a system of ranking and approving rehabilitation requests on need and merit. Specifically, the legislation calls for $5 million to be used annually by the Secretary to assess the true needs of the entire program in the first two years of the program existence (1999 and 2000).

Presently over 1,000 community sponsored-U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) assisted dams throughout the United States are over 40 years old, and each of these dams was given an estimated life span of 50 years when constructed.

"Although some aging dams remain in good shape, others' rusting, cracking drain pipes, sediment-filled lakes and crumbling concrete or earthen structures are deteriorating in a rapid fashion," Lucas said. "There is a significant danger or disturbance presented to the communities around the nation's 10,000 upstream dams, and Oklahoma's 2,094 of them if time continues to pass with no provided assistance.

"These upstream flood control dams serve not only as the wall of safety for communities living downstream, but also as the main water source for some areas, and as recreational areas, and as wildlife habitats," Lucas continued. "The Small Watershed Program is also one of our nation's most successful public/private partnerships."

Beginning in 1948 with the construction of the first upstream flood control dam 11 miles southeast of Cordell, watershed programs have been authorized under several Congressionally-passed bills: the 'Flood Control Act of 1944'; the 'Pilot Watershed Program' in 1953; and the 'Watershed Protection and Floodwater Protection Act of 1954.'

In all instances, the USDA served as a partner with states and local entities by encouraging sponsorship of sites, providing cost-share funding for construction, doing site and geologic surveys, and providing engineering and design expertise. The local district provided all the land, easements and right of ways, covered local construction costs, managed the contracting process and continue to operate and maintain completed works.

"The July 3 round table discussion I hosted in Cordell in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Cloud Creek Site and the assistance I have received from the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service and the National Watershed Coalition have proven the seriousness and immediacy of this problem," Lucas said. "I am anxious to get this legislation introduced now in hopes that it could be considered before the end of the 105th Session of Congress."