The Watershed Protection Program was enacted in 1999 to provide technical and financial assistance for the development and implementation of local watershed initiatives. Watershed protection projects reduce soil erosion, protect or enhance water quality, provide flood control, and protect other natural resources. These projects accelerate watershed planning and implementation efforts with cooperation from local, state, and federal partners.
Planning Assistance
Planning assistance may be provided to help accurately identify existing problems and issues critical to achieve desired resource management objectives. New technologies continue to improve the data collection and evaluation processes for multi-objective watershed projects. Watershed Development and Planning Assistance Grants are awarded to soil and water conservation districts and their conservation partners to help local leaders inventory, assess, and develop implementation strategies for watershed management. The result is more efficient use and productive expenditure of program funds.
Technician collects a water sample from the Walnut Creek watershed in Ames, Iowa
Regional Coordinators provide technical assistance and training to soil and water conservation district officials and other groups on watershed planning and implementation. The watershed approach continues to be the most comprehensive, efficient and effective method of resource management. New challenges are likely to emerge as watershed planning is continually refined, improved, and implemented long-term.
Implementation assistance is available through a competitive grant application process addressing identified environmental issues in a specific watershed. Watershed implementation projects typically leverage technical assistance and financial resources with local resources to improve the targeted watershed.
