Emergency Watershed Protection Program

Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) Fact Sheet (PDF, 121 KB)

Learn how NRCS can help you by reading our EWP Success Stories.

EWP State Funding Round II (Financial and Technical Assistance) for FY 2012

State Name

Total Funds 

FA Funds

TA Funds

California

$240,000

$200,000

$40,000

Connecticut

$429,000

$390,000

$39,000

Indiana

$418,275

$380,250

$38,025

Kansas

$260,442

$217,035

$43,407

Louisiana

$30,338

$25,282

$5,056

Minnesota

$144,000

$120,000

$24,000

Mississippi

$1,600,843

$1,398,784

$202,059

Missouri

$3,300,000

$3,000,000

$300,000

Nebraska

$825,000

$750,000

$75,000

Nevada

$862,785

$784,350

$78,435

New Hampshire

$1,336,551

$1,232,850

$103,701

New Jersey

$628,500

$555,000

$73,500

New York

$1,842,236

$1,660,960

$181,276

Ohio

$72,000

$60,000

$12,000

Oklahoma

$1,263,642

$1,148,765

$114,877

Pennsylvania

$210,000

$175,000

$35,000

South Dakota

$324,000

$270,000

$54,000

Tennessee

$2,312,696

$2,117,625

$195,071

Texas

$101,154

$84,295

$16,859

Utah

$3,520,000

$3,200,000

$320,000

TOTALS

$19,721,461

$17,770,196

$1,951,265

EWP State Funding (Financial and Technical Assistance) for FY 2012

State Name

Total Funds 

FA Funds

TA Funds

Alabama

$9,619,651

$8,016,376

$1,603,275

Alaska

$8,262,000

$6,885,000

$1,377,000

Arizona

$5,213,700

$4,344,750

$868,950

Arkansas

$5,389,280

$4,620,000

$769,280

Georgia

$499,550

$416,300

$83,250

Indiana

$195,827

$163,200

$32,627

Kentucky

$1,710,600

$1,425,500

$285,100

Maine

120,000

$100,000

$20,000

Massachusetts 

$2,400,000

$2,000,000

$400,000

Minnesota

$419,400

$349,500

$69,900

Mississippi

$3,051,261

$2,542,718

$508,543

Missouri

$35,313,773

$29,428,209

$5,885,564

Nebraska

$1,569,950

$1,177,462

$392,488

New Hampshire 

$120,000

$100,000

$20,000

New Jersey 

$1,170,000

$975,000

$195,000

New York

$37,810,984

$31,509,154

$6,301,830

Ohio

$3,139,400

$2,681,800

$457,600

Oklahoma

$4,449,795

$3,708,163

$741,632

Pennsylvania

$12,000,000

$10,000,000

$2,000,000

Puerto Rico

$1,800,000

$1,500,000

$300,000

Rhode Island

$6,450,000

$5,375,000

$1,075,000

Tennessee

$1,270,351

$1,070,115

$200,236

Texas

$6,507,217

$5,422,681

$1,084,536

Utah

$60,228,801

$50,190,668

$10,038,133

Virginia

$600,000

$500,000

$100,000

Vermont

$6,389,250

$5,324,375

$1,064,875

TOTALS

$215,700,790

$179,825,971

$35,874,819 

 

2011 Emergency Watershed Program Floodplain Data 

EWP-FPE Enrollments by State

Background

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is not necessary for a national emergency to be declared for an area to be eligible for assistance.

The program is designed to help people and conserve natural resources by relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, wind­storms, and other natural occurrences. EWP is an emergency recovery program. All projects undertaken, with the exception of the pur­chase of floodplain easements, must have a project sponsor.

NRCS may bear up to 75 percent of the construction cost of emergency measures. The remaining 25 per­cent must come from local sources and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services. Funding is subject to Congressional approval.

Type of Work Authorized

NRCS may purchase EWPP easements on any floodplain lands that have been impaired within the last 12 months or that have a history of repeated flooding (i.e., flooded at least two times during the past 10 years).

EWP is designed for installation of recovery measures. Activities include providing financial and technical assistance to:

  • remove debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges

  • reshape and protect eroded banks

  • correct damaged drainage facilities

  • establish cover on critically eroding lands

  • repair levees and structures and

  • repair conservation practices.

NRCS may purchase EWPP easements on any floodplain lands that have been impaired within the last 12 months or that have a history of repeated flooding (i.e., flooded at least two times during the past 10 years).

It can include purchasing floodplain easements. These easements can restore, protect, maintain, and enhance the functions of wetlands and riparian areas. They also conserve natural values including fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, flood water retention, ground water recharge, and safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion. EWP work is not limited to any one set of prescribed measures. A case-by-case investigation of the work is made by NRCS.

Eligibility

Public and private landowners are eligible for assistance but must be represented by a project sponsor. Sponsors include legal subdivisions of the State, such as a city, county, general improvement district, conservation district, or any Native American tribe or tribal organization as defined in section 4 of the Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

Sponsor's Obligations

Sponsors are responsible for:

  • providing land rights to do repair work

  • securing the neces­sary permits

  • furnishing the local cost share

  • accomplishing the installation of work

  • work can be done either through Federal or local contracts.

How Do I Get Assistance?

If you have suffered severe damage that may qualify for the EWP program, you should contact your local authorities and request assistance.

City and county governments, flood and water control districts, and soil and water conservation districts are the most common sponsors of EWP projects. Contact them directly to see if they are aware of the program or have contacted NRCS for help. More information is available from NRCS offices throughout the United States and the Caribbean and Pacific Basin Areas.

Program Signup Information

Excerpt from Section 216, P.L. 81-516 - further clarification of the EWP Program.
Final Rule, 7 CFR Part 624 (April 2005) (PDF, 97 KB)

If you have any questions, please contact Fred Reaves, National Emergency Watershed Protection Program Manager at 202-690-0793.