Purpose
Dams, seawalls, and levees play a vital role in protecting people, property, and infrastructure in Massachusetts and are among the first structures impacted by climate change. Simultaneously, many dams no longer serve a public purpose and present opportunities for restoring ecological systems. Funding for repair and removal of these structures provides critical support to communities as they build resilience to climate change.
The Dam and Seawall Program provides financial resources to assist municipalities and nonprofit organizations with the repair or removal of aging and outdated infrastructure. The program was established as a trust fund in 2013 and was supplemented with capital funds through later bond bills. The program promotes climate resilience by supporting critical repairs to protective infrastructure, as well as the removal of obsolete dams for ecological restoration.
General Requirements
The Dam and Seawall Program is open to municipalities and nonprofit organizations. Grants and loans for design, permitting, and construction are available for the repair or removal of dams, seawalls, levees, and other inland flood control and coastal protection infrastructure. A minimum 10% cash match is required for any application to be considered.
Applicants for construction funds are required to submit their projects to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act Office (MEPA Office) for regulatory review prior to submitting an application. Applicants whose projects are not subject to MEPA review must explain.
Grants through the program are awarded on an annual, competitive basis with a focus on comprehensive permitting projects and shovel-ready construction projects that promote public health, public safety, or ecological restoration, either through improvements to deficient structures for flood resilience or the removal of obsolete structures for the restoration of natural ecosystems. Grants are typically awarded for a contract period of two fiscal years.
Past Rounds
Funding rounds for the Dam and Seawall Program typically open in the late winter or early spring. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the documents from the latest round of awards on COMMBUYS (search “DAM, LEVEE AND SEAWALL”).