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DES tells committee state-owned dams need sustained funding; $15M/year estimate given
Summary
Assistant Commissioner Adam Crapo told lawmakers the Department of Environmental Services needs roughly $15 million a year to sustain a 50‑year maintenance cycle for state‑owned dams and presented options to create stable funding.
Assistant Commissioner Adam Crapo told the Science, Technology and Energy Committee on Jan. 14 that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) oversees more than 2,600 dams statewide and 276 state‑owned dams that are increasingly costly to maintain. “To do that, we’ll need around $15,000,000 per year to sustain that type of maintenance on these facilities,” Crapo said.
Why it matters: DES staff and lawmakers said many state‑owned dams were built a century ago, several have been reclassified as higher‑hazard as development occurred downstream, and existing revenue streams (hydropower lease income, capital appropriations and one‑time ARPA funds) do not cover long‑term needs. Without a sustainable funding mechanism, officials said more dams will fall into deferred maintenance or require costly emergency repairs.
DES overview and costs. Crapo outlined DES divisions responsible for dams, engineering, operations and permitting and said the department has prioritized the highest hazards but faces growing…
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