Overholser Dam loses millions of federal grant funding for repairs due to FEMA cuts
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Overholser Dam was supposed to be getting a $50M makeover with the help of a federal grant. However, the money is on the chopping block.
Vanessa Aguilar, the Director of Utilities and Financial Services for the City of Oklahoma City says, 'Staff was seeking grant opportunities, now there isn't any guarantee of any grant opportunities being available.'
The Overholser Dam was built in 1918, due for repairs after more than 100 years.
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'Probable costs at this time is roughly 50 to 56 million based on current estimates,' said Aguilar.
The City of Oklahoma City planned to cover some of the hefty cost with federal grant money from FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program.
Now, federal grant money is off the table, FEMA describing the BRIC program as 'wasteful and ineffective.'
However, Larry Hare, the Raw Water Shop Design Manager for the City of Oklahoma City said the project will get done.
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'The gates will be replaced with what we call Labyrinth Weir. That will allow more water to go through the dam than what can go through the gates,' said Hare.
In 2022, the city received a $24M state loan to help fund the project, but they're also relying on other resources.
'We do incremental rate adjustments effective January 1st of this year and November 1st of this year. Following forward for the next four years. A portion of those rate that customer pay on their bill, go back to fund not only the operations and maintenance, but the capital program as well,' said Aguilar.
With record flooding we're seeing in the state, city officials stress there's no need to worry about safety.
'The dam is a safe structure. It has withstood so many floods in the past and it will withstand whatever flood is coming our way this time,' said Hare.
The city says construction will take two to three years once they have the funding needed to begin.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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