The nation’s dams are over a half-century old on average. The Pacheco Dam is even older: It was built in 1939.
“There are thousands of people in this country that are living downstream from dams that are probably considered deficient given current safety standards,” Mark Ogden told AP. Ogden is a former Ohio dam safety official who is now a technical specialist with the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, which estimates it would take more than $70 billion to repair and modernize the nation’s more than 90,000 dams.

“Reform,” in Rightwingspeak means eliminating public influence on decisions about water in Western states, which, contrary to California Rep. Tom McClintock’s assertion, is scarce, not abundant. Decisions about how water is to be used or left alone require more, not less, public commentary, particularly from groups or individuals arguing on behalf of the environment. HR 6217 seeks to “streamline” water contracts, transfers and other manipulations.