Watershed Rehabilitation Program (10.916)

Program

10.916 Watershed Rehabilitation Program

Federal Agency

Agency: Department of Agriculture
Office: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Authorization

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 111-5.

Program Number

10.916

Last Known Status

Active

Objectives

To provide technical and financial assistance to rehabilitate dams originally constructed with assistance of USDA Watershed Programs. Rehabilitation must extend the life of the dam and meet applicable safety and performance standards. Priority is given to dams that could result in loss of life if the dam should fail.

Types of Assistance

ADVISORY SERVICES AND COUNSELING

Uses and Use Restrictions

Technical assistance is provided in planning, designing, and implementing watershed rehabilitation works of improvement. Financial assistance is provided for sharing costs of measures for watershed rehabilitation projects. Watershed rehabilitation projects may include reconstruction or decommissioning of the dam and relocation or flood proofing of downstream property. Technical assistance is provided in planning, designing, and implementing watershed rehabilitation works of improvement. Financial assistance is provided for sharing costs of measures for watershed rehabilitation projects. Watershed rehabilitation projects may include reconstruction or decommissioning of the dam and relocation or flood proofing of downstream property.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicant Eligibility

Sponsoring local organizations for existing watershed projects that include dams that were originally constructed with assistance from one of the following water resource programs: Public Law 78-534, Section 13 of the Flood Control Act of 1944; Public Law 156-67, the pilot watershed program authorized under the heading Flood Prevention of the Department of Agriculture Appropriation Act of 1954; Public Law 83-566, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954; and Subtitle H of Title XV of the Agriculture and Flood Act of 1981, commonly known as the Resource Conservation and Development Program.

Beneficiary Eligibility

Any State agency, county or groups of counties, municipality, town or township, soil and water conservation district, flood prevention or flood control district, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or any other nonprofit agency with authority under State law to carry out, maintain, and operate watershed works of improvement may become a sponsoring local organization for a watershed rehabilitation project.

Credentials/Documentation

Applications must designate the proposed dam to be rehabilitated, be properly signed and attested to by all sponsoring local organizations of the existing watershed, and set forth the need for the proposed project. OMB Circular No. A-87 applies to this program.

Application and Award Process

Preapplication Coordination

Preapplication coordination is required. An environmental impact statement is required for this program. An environmental impact assessment is required for this program. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure

This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-102. This program is excluded from coverage under OMB Circular No. A-110. The standard application forms, as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102, must be used for this program. Environmental assessments or an Environmental impact statement are required for all projects. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the Single Point of Contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Award Procedure

Applications are evaluated by analyzing the condition of the dam and consequences of failure of the dam. The State Dam Safety Agency is also consulted for input. Details of the procedure are available from the State Offices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Deadlines

Not Applicable.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time

Receipt of the application is acknowledged as soon as it is determined to be valid.

Appeals

Not Applicable.

Renewals

Not Applicable.

Assistance Considerations

Formula and Matching Requirements

Statutory formulas are not applicable to this program.

This program has no matching requirements. Federal funds may be available for 65 percent of the total rehabilitation project cost, but shall not exceed 100 percent of the actual construction cost incurred. The total rehabilitation project cost includes land acquisition, easements, construction, and non-federal technical assistance and project administration. The cost of technical assistance provided by the natural Resources Conservation Service is not considered as part of the total rehabilitation project cost. The sponsoring local organizations shall be responsible for the cost of all water, mineral, and other resource rights, and cost of permits which are not part of the total rehabilitation project cost. Costs associated with adding new purposes to the watershed rehabilitation project may be cost-shared according to provisions of the Watershed Projection and Flood Prevention Act.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this program.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance

Continues until all works of improvement are installed or their installation is terminated by mutual agreement. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: lump sum.

Post Assistance Requirements

Reports

Annual operation and maintenance inspection and report. Cash reports are not applicable. Annual operation and maintenance inspection and report. Expenditure reports are not applicable. Annual operation and maintenance inspection and report.

Audits

Not Applicable.

Records

Records of operation and maintenance activities are maintained for the life of the project.

Program Accomplishments

Fiscal Year 2008: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2009: 86 Dams rehabilitated or removed through fiscal year 2009. Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Financial Information

Account Identification

12-1002-0-1-301.

Obligations

(Salaries) FY 08 $8,461,060; FY 09 est $34,173,048; FY 10 est $33,211,000. (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 08 $0; FY 09 est $14,325,000; FY 10 est $25,675,000. (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 08 $12,474,354; FY 09 est $10,733,977; FY 10 est $6,950,000

Range and Average of Financial Assistance

$0 to $6,451,000; $770,000 average per state.

Regulations, Guidelines and Literature

Policy for implementation of this program is contained in the National Watershed Manual and NRCS General Manual. Program fact sheets, case studies, and guidelines are available from NRCS State Offices and can also be accessed through the NRCS website (www.nrcs.usda.gov).

Related Programs

10.904 Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention; 10.906 Watershed Surveys and Planning; 12.104 Flood Plain Management Services

Information Contacts

Regional or Local Office

See Regional Agency Offices. For list of NRCS State offices with telephone numbers and addresses, see Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Headquarters Office

Stuart Simpson Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Agriculture,
P.O. Box 2890, Washington, District of Columbia 20013 Email: Stuart.Simpson@wdc.usda.gov Phone: (202) 720-3413

Web Site Address

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov.

Examples of Funded Projects

Fiscal Year 2008: No Current Data Available Fiscal Year 2009: Since 2002, Federal assistance has been provided to complete 86 dam rehabilitation projects. This program provides technical and financial assistance to State agencies and units of local government in addressing public health and safety concerns with homes and businesses downstream from the dams. These projects also reduce flooding and sediment damage some projects also include the development of multipurpose facilities for such uses as recreation, improvement of fish and wild-life habitat, irrigation, and water supply to municipal and industrial users. Examples: watershed rehabilitation projects protect public health and safety of residents in the communities of Gwinnett County, Georgia (Yellow River Watershed); McKinney, Texas (East Fork Above Lavon Creek Watershed); Ramon, Oklahoma (Double Creek Watershed), and Carlsbad, New Mexico (Hackberry Draw Watershed). Fiscal Year 2010: No Current Data Available

Criteria for Selecting Proposals

(1) The existing watershed project must meet the requirements of the law; (2) operation and maintenance of the existing dam must be current; (3) the local sponsors must agree to carry out the watershed project including acquiring land rights, permits, local cost-share, and operating and maintaining the rehabilitated dam for the life of the project; (4) the project has environmental, economic and social benefits that exceed the costs for a favorable benefit-cost ratio.