Federal grant programs / Department of Homeland Security

National Dam Safety Program (97.041)

Also known as National Dam Safety Program State Assistance

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$268 million
• Grant awards362
• Typical award$167,552
• Awarded in FY 2025$9.3 million
• Size rank535 of 1824
• Type of assistanceProject grants

Key findings

• Annual funding fell from $16.8 million in fiscal 2021 to $9.3 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 535th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 72% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 50 states and territories.

What the program funds

National Dam Safety Program (NDSP) State Assistance improves the safety of dams in the United States and strives to achieve the key objective of “dam safety and dam risk reduction.” This grant program implements the Department of Homeland Security and Presidential Preparedness Directive (PPD)-8 objective of hazard mitigation, to develop and maintain those capabilities necessary to reduce loss of life and property by lessening the impact of the failure of dams. The program objectives are: 1. Reduce risks to life and property associated with dams; 2. Increase awareness of the risks associated with dams and the benefit of state dam safety programs; and 3. Advance the state of practice of dam safety and dam risk management

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

States with an approved state dam safety program. For a State to be eligible for assistance under this subsection, a State dam safety program must be working toward meeting the following criteria and budgeting requirement: (A) State dam safety program must be authorized by State legislation to include, at a minimum—(i) the authority to review and approve plans and specifications to construct, enlarge, modify, remove, and abandon dams;(ii) the authority to perform periodic inspections during dam construction to ensure compliance with approved plans and specifications; (iii) a requirement that, on completion of dam construction, State approval must be given before operation of the dam; (iv) the authority to require or perform periodic evaluations of all dams and reservoirs to determine the extent of the threat to human life and property in case of failure; (v)(I) the authority to require or perform the inspection, at least once every 5 years, of all dams and reservoirs that would pose a significant threat to human life and property in case of failure to determine the continued safety of the dams and reservoirs; and (II) a procedure for more detailed and frequent safety inspections; (vi) a requirement that all inspections be performed under the supervision of a State-registered professional engineer with related experience in dam design and construction; (vii) the authority to issue notices, when appropriate, to require owners of dams to perform necessary maintenance or...

Continue reading on SAM.gov

What the money can and cannot pay for

Funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the grant and must be consistent with statutory authority for the award. Grant funds must be used in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Funds may not be used for matching funds for other Federal grants or cooperative agreements. Funds may not be used for lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. Funds awarded under this grant may not be used to construct or repair any Federal or non-Federal dam. Pre-award costs are allowable only with the written consent of DHS and such costs must be reflected in the award agreement. For complete information on Uses and Restrictions, refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The grant is intended to encourage dam safety through assisting States to develop and establish effective dam safety programs. Funding provided is for approved State Dam Safety Program activities.;

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. The National Dam Safety Program State Assistance (NDSP SA) grant program does not have a matching requirement and does not have a total allocation over $100 million for the fiscal year. However, according to 33 U.S.C. Section 467j, an award to a state may not exceed four times (4x) the amount of funds committed by the State to implement dam safety activities. A state must enter into such agreement with the Administrator that the State will maintain the aggregate expenditures of the State from all other sources for programs to ensure dam safety for the protection of human life and property at or above a level equal to the average annual level of such expenditures for the 2 fiscal years preceding the fiscal year.

Award range and average, in the agency's words

Refer to program guidance.

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: Dam inspections to protect people against loss of life and property from dam failure. Condition Assessments of dams. Development of new and updated Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for High Hazard dams. Professional education, workshops, and training on content such as dam operations and safety standards, industry best practices, risk assessment methodologies, and risk communication strategies for dam owners, local officials, emergency management personnel, and state dam safety staff. Equipment purchases for dam safety activities, such as drones to assist in inspections.Fiscal Year2026: Dam inspections to protect people against loss of life and property from dam failure. Condition Assessments of dams. Development of new or updated Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for High Hazard dams. Professional education, workshops, and training on content such as dam operations and safety standards, industry best practices, risk assessment methodologies, and risk communication strategies for dam owners, local officials, emergency management personnel, and state dam safety staff. Equipment purchases for dam safety activities, such as drones to assist in inspections.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.

By state

37 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.