Dam Safety Applications and Fees

Helene

Due to Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, please allow extra time for responses from Dam Safety, as review timelines may go beyond what is typical. 

Application Process

All submittals must have an Application for Review attached. The Application for Review must be filled out completely. Checks are required for certain submissions we ask you please review the fee information at the bottom of this page before all submittals. 

The applicant must send one electronic copy of the files to the Central Office via one of the following methods:

  1. Email NC Dam Safety (damsafety@deq.nc.gov) with the files and include in the subject line: 
    • Dam Name, STATE-ID (if applicable), Application Type
  2. Load data on a flash drive and send by mail via USPS to the Central Office: 
    • Dam Safety Program 1612 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1612
  3. Load data on a flash drive deliver via Courier to: 
    • Dam Safety Program, Archdale Building, 5th Floor, 512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27604
  4. Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) and include link, login & password in an email to NC Dam Safety. 
    • Login information and password should be sent in two separate emails.

Applicant must send one hard copy to the appropriate NCDEQ Regional Office. Hard copies should include any engineering plans/drawings, along with a transmittal sheet stating the Dam Name, STATE-ID (if applicable) and type of application. 

  1. Hard copies are only required for engineering plan or drawings.
  2. Hard copies are not required for:
    • Emergency Action Plans, Jurisdictional Determinations/Hazard Classification, Operations and Maintenance Manuals, Request for Extension, Change of Ownership or other supporting documentation submitted along with the engineering plans (e.g., design reports, calculation packages, etc.)
  3. Hard copies are not required to be sent to the Central Office

Plans and applications should not be sent directly to internal engineering staff as this will interfere with the intake process and could result in your application being rejected or overlooked.

  1. Send to the attention of Dam Safety and it will be marked with the received date when the electronic copy is received by our Central Office

 

Failure to complete this process will result in an incomplete application. Incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant and the applicant will be required to re-submit all documents as a "new" submission. If hard copies are sent to the incorrect Regional Office, it is the responsibility of the "sender" to either retrieve the documents or prepare a new copy for the correct Regional Office.

Tab/Accordion Items

Fees

Application Submitted After October 10, 2023

Applicant should submit an Application Form for all applications. In addition, a nonrefundable application processing and compliance fee in the amount of 2.25% of the actual cost of construction, repair, alteration, breach or removal of the applicable dam shall be paid for the processing of applications for approvals to construction a new dam or modify, repair, decommission, remove or breach an existing dam as follows:

  1. An initial fee of $500, or one-half of the processing and compliance fee based on the engineer's estimated cost of construction, whichever amount is greater, shall be submitted with the application.
  2. The remainder of the processing and compliance fee based on the engineer's actual cost of construction (minus the initial fee paid), shall be paid when the as-built plans are submitted. The maximum fee shall not exceed $50,000

For purposes of determining the actual cost of construction, the cost shall include all labor and materials costs associated with the project for the applicable dam and not include the costs associated with acquisition of land or right-of-way, design, quality control, electrical generating machinery or constructing a roadway across the dam. 


Fees are not required for applications for:

  • Jurisdictional Determination/Hazard Classifications
  • Emergency Action Plans
  • Operations and Maintenance Plans
  • Change of Engineer of Record
  • Change of Dam Owner
  • Extension Requests
  • Withdrawal Requests

Before Final Approval to Impound or Final Approval of Breach is granted, the additional second part of the fee must be submitted with an Owner's Cost Certification form and accompanying documentation, along with the "As-Built" plans and the Engineer of Record's (EOR) Certification of Completion in accordance with 15A NCAC 2K .0215. 


Application Submitted Before October 10, 2023

There are two fees associated with processing only the following:

  • Approval to Construct
  • Approval to Modify
  • Plans to Breach / Remove

Minimum Application Processing Fee: $200.00

The minimum application processing fee is to be submitted when an application to construct, modify or remove a dam is files in accordance with 15A NCAC 2K .0201.

Additional Application Processing Fees

Before Final Approval to Impound or Final Approval of Breach is granted, the additional application processing fee must be submitted with an Owner's Cost Certification form (MS Word, Fillable PDF) and accompanying documentation, along with the "As-Built" plans and the Engineer of Record Certification of Completion in accordance with 15A NCAC 2K .0215.

It is based on the following percentages of the actual cost of construction, enlargement or removal of a dam (A fee calculator is available in MS Excel to help determine the proper fees to submit):

  • 2% of the actual cost between $10,001 and $100,000
  • 1.5% of the actual cost between $100,001 and $500,000
  • 1.0% of the actual cost between $500,001 and $1,000,000
  • 0.5% of the actual cost over $1,000,001

In no case, however, shall the additional application fee be more than $50,000.

Actual costs shall include all labor and materials costs associated with the construction or removal of the dam and appurtenances but shall not include the costs associated with acquisition of land or right of way, design, quality control, electrical generating machinery, or constructing a roadway across the dam.

(Refer to § 143-215.28A. of Dam Safety Law of 1967 and 15A NCAC 02K .0222 of North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Subchapter 2K: Dam Safety)