H.R. 10635House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Saving Rural Reservoirs Act

To include high hazard potential dams and rural earthen dams as eligible for rehabilitation assistance under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated October 2, 2026 at 5:23 AM UTC

The Saving Rural Reservoir Act expands the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act so that certain high‑risk and small‑town earthen dams can receive federal rehabilitation assistance. It adds “covered dam” to the list of projects that qualify for help, covering high‑hazard dams and rural earthen dams in towns under 5,000 residents. This would allow owners of those dams to apply for federal funds to repair or upgrade them.

Key Provisions

Amends the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to include “covered dam” as an eligible type of work for rehabilitation assistance.
Defines “covered dam” to include (a) high‑hazard potential dams as defined by the National Dam Safety Program Act, and (b) earthen dams in towns with fewer than 5,000 people where over half the dam’s volume is compacted earth.
Allows owners of these covered dams to receive federal rehabilitation assistance under the Act.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

September 28, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 28, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.

Agriculture Committee

September 28, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued September 28, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 10635

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

September 28, 2026

Mr. Riley of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture

A BILL

To include high hazard potential dams and rural earthen dams as eligible for rehabilitation assistance under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Saving Rural Reservoirs Act.

Rehabilitation of structural measures near, at, or past their evaluated life expectancy

Section 14(a) of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (16 U.S.C. 1012(a)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting a covered dam or before a work of improvement; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following:

(4)

Covered dam

The term covered dam means—

(A)

an eligible high hazard potential dam (as such term is defined in section 2 of the National Dam Safety Program Act (33 U.S.C. 467)); or

(B)

any dam—

(i)

located in a town with a population of less than 5,000 people; and

(ii)

for which more than 50 percent of the total volume of the embankment of the dam is formed of compacted earth layers.