USDA NRCS’ Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program provides grants and technical assistance to protect and restore watersheds up to 250,000 acres. These projects can help with flood prevention, watershed protection, public recreation, fish and wildlife habitats, agricultural water management, municipal and industrial water supply, and water quality management.

	Allows in-kind services to contribute toward nonfederal cost share requirements
	Supports nature-based solutions

Application cycle:  USDA NRCS accepts applications on an ongoing basis.

Summary: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program helps communities protect and restore watersheds of up to 250,000 acres through federal-state-local cooperative efforts to mitigate erosion, floodwater, and sediment damage, as well as to further watershed conservation. Communities can use this program to receive financial and technical assistance for watershed protection, flood prevention, and water management efforts.

Eligible applicants: States and local governments, including conservation districts, water improvement districts, county, city, town, or tribal governments.

Eligible activities: 

• Flood prevention: measures that prevent flooding by reducing runoff, erosion, and sediment; detention basins; upsizing, piping, or improving conveyance channels; bank stabilization; and structure elevation, relocation, and floodproofing.
• Watershed protection: onsite treatment of water resources for the primary purpose of reducing offsite flooding, erosion, sediment, and agriculture-related pollutants; includes ecosystem restoration activities and land treatment practices to conserve and develop soil health, water quality, and wildlife protection.
• Other purposes: incorporating other major project purposes — including public recreation, public fish and wildlife habitat, agricultural water management, municipal and industrial water supply, and water quality management — into a flood resilience project could enhance the project application’s competitiveness by demonstrating its ability to provide multiple benefits to the public and maximize the use of federal dollars.
• Watershed Rehabilitation Program (REHAB): REHAB allows NRCS to work with local communities and watershed project sponsors to rehabilitate aging dams, that were originally constructed through NRCS Watershed Programs such as WFPO, and are reaching the end of their design life and/or no longer meet federal or state safety criteria or performance standards.

Funding: Varies. NRCS may award $50,000 grants for feasibility studies and grants of several hundred thousand to several million dollars for project implementation. Projects involving more than $5 million in federal contributions require Congressional approval.

Cost share: Varies, depending on the project purpose, with many purposes offering a 50% federal cost share.

• Flood prevention: 100% federal cost share for engineering, technical assistance, and construction; local sponsors provide all real property rights and easement costs.
• Watershed protection: 100% federal cost share for engineering and technical assistance. The federal cost share for installation and construction varies.
• Watershed Rehabilitation Program: 65% federal / 35% nonfederal.
• In-kind services can contribute to the nonfederal cost share requirement, under certain circumstances.

Application process: 

• Benefits that are directly related to agriculture, which includes benefits for rural communities, must be at least 20% of the total benefits of the project.
• NRCS will give additional consideration to projects that have multiple-benefit uses, and projects in historically underserved communities that directly benefit limited resource areas or socially disadvantaged communities.
• WFPO projects occur in four phases, and applicants must request assistance from NRCS as they advance from one phase to the next. The four phases are Preliminary Investigation and Feasibility Report (PIFR), Watershed Plan Development (which can include an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement), Project Design, and Project Construction.
• NRCS accepts applications on an ongoing basis. To learn how to begin the application process and complete a PIFR, visit USDA’s website and contact your local NRCS office.