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Press Release: Watershed sponsors can request watershed rehabilitation funding from USDA-NRCS

Contact:  Mark Northcut, (254) 742-9824, mark.northcut@usda.gov

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Find this story on the Texas NRCS News Releases webpage.

Watershed sponsors can request watershed rehabilitation funding from USDA-NRCS

Temple, Texas, May 3, 2021 — The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Texas is accepting funding requests from sponsors for watershed rehabilitation projects until June 7, 2021. Watershed rehabilitation is an ongoing effort to bring aging flood control dams that were built as part of the small watershed program up to current safety standards.

Most of the 2,044 watershed dams in Texas were designed and built decades ago when many areas were still rural with few houses or major highways nearby. As the Texas population has grown, it has moved into once rural areas increasing the need for dams to meet “high hazard” standards. NRCS is committed to cost sharing the planning, design, and construction of eligible projects contingent upon available funding. NRCS selects projects based on the risks to life and property if a dam failure were to occur.

Watershed sponsors need to provide a letter documenting their understanding and commitment to the project. They will also need to work with NRCS to complete a timeline of milestone activities and deliverables for each project phase and project costs.

NRCS will submit funding applications to the NRCS National Rehabilitation Program by June 30, 2021, to compete for Fiscal Year 2022 funding.

Funding application requests and questions can be directed to Mark J. Northcut at mark.northcut@usda.gov or (254) 742-9824.

The NRCS Texas Watershed Program staff will host a quarterly conference call on May 19, 2021 via Microsoft TEAMS, to keep watershed sponsors and others interested in the Texas watershed program up-to-date on current and upcoming program activity.

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