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School and Public Lands seeks $13.9 million state match for Richmond Dam repair; total project exceeds $22.6 million
Summary
The Office of School and Public Lands asked the Joint Appropriations Committee for House Bill 1026 to cover remaining state funds for Richmond Dam rehabilitation after a smaller FEMA award; the office said the project has federal, prior state, and local support and presented a construction design and timeline that could finish in 2026.
Brock Greenfield, commissioner of the Office of School and Public Lands, told the Joint Appropriations Committee that Richmond Dam, northwest of Aberdeen, needs a combined cut-off wall and spillway replacement after engineering testing discovered seepage and new fractures that raise the risk of failure.
The office said Barr Engineering's 30% design estimates a construction cost of $22,688,500 for the cut-off wall (about 1,700 feet long and 40'to'105 feet deep along portions of the dam) and a labyrinth-weir style spillway replacement. FEMA notified the state in September 2024 of an award of $2,941,964 under a high-hazard dam rehabilitation program; prior state appropriations total $9,650,000 ($6,500,000 in 2022 and $3,150,000 in 2024). Together with the requested state appropriation in House Bill 1026, the presenter said, the total funding available would reach $25,639,046.
Why it matters: School and Public Lands said Richmond Dam ranks as the highest priority on the state's high-hazard dam matrix and that a breach could threaten life, property and infrastructure downstream toward Aberdeen. Commissioners and county emergency-management officials raised that risk during the briefing.
Project scope and timeline
- Engineering and scope: Barr Engineering expanded the project from a spillway-only fix to a combined cut-off wall and spillway replacement after borehole testing found strong seepage that raised immediate concerns about internal erosion. The cut-off wall would be backfilled with engineered material; the spillway design is a labyrinth-weir that increases discharge capacity.
- Costs and previous funding: The construction-only estimate presented was $22,688,500. State appropriations passed in prior sessions totaled $9,650,000. FEMA's award was $2,941,964. The office requested the remaining state one-time appropriation in House Bill 1026 so the project could be executed as a single staging to capture efficiencies.
- Timeline: Greenfield said if funding is approved in the current session, the project team intends to bid and begin construction next summer and expects completion in 2026.
Local coordination and emergency planning
Justin Nagel, deputy commissioner, said Brown County Emergency Management has coordinated an emergency-action plan with town and county officials and that local homeowners' and recreation interests have engaged with the office. The office emphasized that the state is the responsible steward for this structure and that local partners have provided supportive input but are not the primary funders for the core rehabilitation.
Ending
Greenfield closed by noting the broader stewardship mission of School and Public Lands, the agency's management of nearly 6.76 million surface acres and 5.5 million mineral acres for trust beneficiaries, and a request for limited operating increases to address personnel and equipment needs. The committee did not take a formal vote on House Bill 1026 during the briefing; the bill will have its own hearing.
