Barberton is set to receive roughly $8.1 million in federal cash to shore up its nearly century-old Wolf Creek Dam, a high-hazard structure that helps protect the Barberton Reservoir and the drinking water supply for about 29,000 residents, according to city and federal officials.
On April 24, the Federal Emergency Management Agency signed off on a Hazard Mitigation Grant for the project, approving $7.7 million for the second phase of rehabilitation. That award is part of a national package topping $137 million for more than 50 projects across the country, according to FEMA.
Barberton has been working toward a full overhaul of the dam for several years. The city's 2024 comprehensive financial report details an earlier design-phase grant awarded in 2023 and lays out a multi-phase reconstruction plan. That filing also shows the city has been stacking state and federal assistance with the goal of moving from design into bidding once plans are finalized. Background on the effort is available from the City of Barberton.
What The Work Will Do
The current blueprint calls for structural repairs and a major reconfiguration of the dam. The buttress-type structure would be converted into a gravity-type dam, and the water-supply gate valve house would be relocated outside the dam footprint. Local officials say those moves will modernize safety systems and reduce flood risk. As reported by Cleveland.com, the planned work is expected to extend the dam's service life by nearly 50 years.
How The Funding Breaks Down
According to the federal notice, FEMA will cover most eligible costs for the rehabilitation project, while the local government provides the standard 10 percent match. The April release also includes additional sub-recipient management funding linked to the award. The money flows through FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is intended to help communities upgrade aging infrastructure and cut future flood risk. The full release is posted by FEMA.
Where This Came From
The city has been nudging this project along since at least 2023, according to its financial reports. Those filings point to a prior design grant and a planned contribution from the Ohio Public Works Commission that helped advance reconstruction plans. City officials have said that these earlier awards, along with the engineering timeline, were key to assembling a competitive FEMA application and keeping the dam work on Barberton's capital schedule. The documentation is available from the City of Barberton.
Why It Matters
Completed in 1926 and classified as a high-hazard structure, the Wolf Creek Dam is a central piece of Barberton's water system. It feeds the reservoir that serves about 29,000 people in and around the city. Strengthening the dam and protecting the Barberton Reservoir "will help ensure safe, reliable drinking water for families and reduce long-term flood risk," U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes said, as reported by Cleveland.com.
City leaders say the next big milestones are finishing design work, then moving the project into bidding and construction. Barberton will be on the hook for the required local match once the award is formally accepted. Sykes' office has also told local reporters that she is pursuing another $5.8 million in next year's federal budget to further take on flood risks and upgrade safety systems tied to the dam. Officials say the federal support should ease the local financial hit and speed up the work needed to safeguard the reservoir and surrounding neighborhoods.
