We deliver conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world.
The Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) is designed to provide technical and financial assistance to local communities for addressing imminent threats to life and property caused by natural disasters such as floods, fires, and windstorms that impair watersheds. The program facilitates interventions without requiring disaster declarations from federal or state governments, allowing local NRCS State Conservationists to declare watershed emergencies and start assistance swiftly in coordination with eligible sponsors. Activities supported include debris removal from water channels, erosion control, repair of damaged drainage and levee systems, establishment of vegetative cover on eroding lands, and the purchase of floodplain easements. Furthermore, the program includes an option for landowners to apply directly for assistance through floodplain easements, where NRCS may purchase these easements voluntarily from landowners to reduce property damage threats and protect floodplains, offering full fair market value and covering restoration costs.