Dayton, Ohio – Congressman Mike Turner, who represents Ohio’s 10th Congressional District, has announced that $8.685 million in federal funding will support major improvements to three aging dams in the Miami Valley.
Turner joined representatives of the Miami Conservancy District on Tuesday to announce the investment, which will be used to upgrade the Germantown, Englewood and Taylorsville dams.
The funding was secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 federal appropriations process and will focus on improvements to the upstream walls of the three structures.
“I’m pleased to announce that, through the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process, I was able to secure $8,685,000 to make necessary improvements to the upstream walls of the Germantown, Englewood, and Taylorsville dams,” said Rep. Turner. “The amount of this investment reflects how competitive our community’s projects are at a national level, and it’s also a testament to how necessary this critical infrastructure project is to keep the Miami Valley safe.”
Century old dams to receive upgrades aimed at improving long term safety
The Germantown, Englewood and Taylorsville dams were built during the early 1920s, following the devastating flood of 1913 that highlighted the need for stronger flood protection in the region.
More than a century later, the structures remain important parts of the Miami Valley’s flood protection system.
All three are classified as high-hazard, Class One dams, making their continued maintenance and structural strength especially important.
Because the dams are now more than 100 years old, they have already exceeded their original expected service life.
The planned improvements are intended to bring the aging structures closer to modern engineering standards while strengthening their ability to withstand future challenges.
According to the announcement, the project will improve the dams’ resilience, increase their structural strength and extend their useful life by at least another 75 years.
The federal investment represents a significant step toward maintaining the region’s flood protection infrastructure and reducing the risks associated with aging dams.
For communities throughout the Miami Valley, the improvements are expected to help preserve the long term reliability of structures originally built in response to one of the region’s most destructive floods.
