Update: an earlier version of this story said the Oklahoma legislature had appropriated $30 million towards the project. The actual appropriation was $3 million.
The Oklahoma Conservation Commission primarily will be focusing on watershed rehabilitation during the coming legislative session, Executive Director Trey Lam said Monday following a meeting.
The commission unanimously ratified agreements on 10 flood control and engineering projects Monday as part of its continued effort to address dam infrastructure across the state. These projects include work at the Rock Creek, Barnitz Creek, Cottonwood Creek, Fourche Maline Creek, Quapaw Creek, Sallisaw Creek and Upper Black Bear Creek watersheds.
In the 2014 Farm Bill, Lam said, there was an allocation of more than $30 million in federal funds, which requires a state match, partially coming from the legislature. Last legislative session $3 million was allocated to the project by state lawmakers. This year, Lam said they will be asking for an additional $8 million.
Lam said this money will be used to address the state's 249 "high hazard" dams. He added some prioritization would be necessary to tackle the problem.
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