NATIONAL EMERGENCY WATERSHED PROTECTION (EWP) PROGRAMFred Reaves - National Program Manager

USDA – NRCS, Washington DC301-504-1699

United States Department of Agriculture

What Is The Emergency Watershed Protection Program?

The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program was set up by Congress to respond to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is designed to relieve imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences. The purpose of EWP is to help groups of people with a common problem. It is generally not an individual assistance program.

NRCS may bear up to 75 percent of the cost of emergency measures or up to 90 percent in limited resource areas. The remaining cost-share must come from local sponsor and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services.

Is Financial Assistance Available?

Limited Resource Area Cost-Share

Criteria for Limited Resource Status……

Up to 90% based on:

housing values……less than 75% of State value

per capita income……75% or less than national average

unemployment……at least twice the national average over a 3 year period

and all 3 criteria must be met

Individuals, households, or landowner cannot qualify for limited resource status, only counties and parishes, and in some cases, communities

Eligible Sponsors

State Government

Local units or subdivisions of state government

Other government entities (i.e., SWCDs, daring boards, levee boards, etc.)

Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations

Sponsor’s Responsibilities

Ability to provide local share of construction costs

Responsible for operation & maintenance

Ability to obtain land rights

Ability to acquire permits

Eligible Impairment

Eligible Impairments

Other impairments

Earthquakes

Volcanic activity

Ice storms

Drought (as pertaining to wildfires to remove potential fuel loads)

Eligible Criteria

Reduce threat to life or property

Economically defensible

Alleviates sudden watershed impairment

Debris Removal

Eligible Measures cont’d

Streambank Stabilization

Eligible Measures cont’d

Critical Area Treatment

Eligible Measures cont’d

Levee Repair

Eligible Measures cont’d

PL 78-534 & 83-566 Structure Repair

Eligible Measures cont’d

Ice Damage

Eligible Measures cont’d

NRCS EWP Program Success Stories

NRCS - NY TribalEWP Assistance

Recent EWP Assistance to Limited Resource Area in New York

NY - EWP Assistance(Limited Resource Area)

EWP Program

Seneca National of Indians - 2 projects in response to flooding and erosive channel flows

2009 and 2010 (completed in 2010 and 2011)

$100K and $164K respectively

Including Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance (TERO) compliance - new experience for NRCS-NY

Map of Federally Recognized Tribes in NY

Sovereign Territory Boundaries Not Shown

Locations are approximate for display purposes

Seneca Nation of IndiansTonawanda Seneca Nation

Tuscarora NationCayuga Nation

Oneida Indian NationOnondaga Nation

St. Regis Mohawk TribeShinnecock Nation

EWP Assistance to Seneca Nation of Indians cont’d

Storm

25-28 December 2008 - Rainfall and snowmelt over 4 day period causing significant erosion and debris accumulation in local streams.

7-10 August 2009 - Rainfall and runoff over 4 day period causing significant erosion and debris accumulation in local streams threatening homes, roads, bridges, business in and immediate threat to human life.

Major debris jams were contributing to serious bank erosion and significant flooding. Removal of the debris jams reduced future flooding and channel bank erosion.

People Impacted

2,180 native Americans

Benefits Included

Protection of:

Public building, 26 private buildings, 2 bridges

Debris removed 7,000 feet

Roads protected 2,100 feet

Stream bank stabilized 12,225

feet

Lands protected 17.6 acres

Economic Protection

$28,000,000 (roads, property, business loss)

Cost

NRCS $372,647

Local sponsor $82,337

EWP Assistance to Seneca Nation of Indians cont’d

NRCS – AKEWP Assistance

Recent EWP Assistance to Limited Resource Area in Fort Yukon, Alaska

AK - EWP Assistance (Limited Resource Area)

EWP Program

• Fort Yukon, Alaska – one agreement was signed to repair or rebuild a protective measure for the tank farm out of the erosion zone and relocate to a protected site.

EWP Assistance to Fort Yukon, Alaska cont’d

Flood Ice Jam

May 2009 – Ice jam caused massive flooding removing a spur dike system and opened a fuel tank farm to the river.

Caused potential river contamination and threatened subsistence fisheries for the tribes along the river.

People Impacted

615 residences

Benefits Included

Old tank farm removed

1 utility protected

Sole fuel supply and subsistence fisheries protected

Catastrophic fuel spill into Yukon River prevented

Economic Protection

$7,000,000

Cost

NRCS $10,112,233

Local sponsor $2,513,127

EWP Assistance to Fort Yukon, Alaska cont’d

EWP Summary

Must be an imminent threat to life and property as a result of a natural disaster

Must alleviate a sudden impairment to the watershed

Must be economically defensible

Must have a sponsor, except floodplain easements

If You Have Questions, Please Contact Your Local offices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service at www.nrcs.usda.gov

An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

United States Department of Agriculture