United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Indiana Go to Accessibility Information
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Emergency Watershed Protection

The purpose of the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program is to undertake emergency measures, including the purchase of flood plain easements, for runoff retardation and soil erosion prevention to safeguard lives and property from floods, drought, and the products of erosion on any watershed whenever fire, flood or any other natural occurrence is causing or has caused a sudden impairment of the watershed.

The program objective is to assist sponsors and individuals in implementing emergency measures to relieve imminent hazards to life and property created by a natural disaster. Activities include providing financial and technical assistance to remove debris from streams, protect destabilized stream banks, establish cover on critically eroding lands, repairing conservation practices, and the purchase of flood plain easements.

NRCS may bear up to 75 percent of the construction cost of emergency measures. The remaining 25 percent must come from local sources and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services.

Sponsors are responsible for providing land rights to do repair work and securing the necessary permits. Sponsors are also responsible for furnishing the local cost share and for accomplishing the installation of work. The work can be done either through federal or local contracts.

A case by case investigation of the needed work is made by NRCS.  All projects undertaken must be sponsored by a political subdivision of the State, such as a city, county, general improvement district, or conservation district.

The Floodplain Easement Program (FEP) is operated under the EWP program.

EWP Information

Clarification on EWP for levees, private dams, site access and road projects

Clarification for funding options for damaged conservation practices

Emergency Watershed Protection Fact Sheet

EWP Floodplain Easement Program

FSA's Emergency Conservation Program (which provides emergency funding and technical assistance for farmers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters)

(The following documents require Microsoft Word)

Step-by-Step Application Information (DOC; 25 KB)

Electronic Disaster Report (DOC; 57 KB)

Forms Needed:

Letter from local sponsor--provided by local sponsor

Damage Survey Report (PDF; 990 KB) Document requires Acrobat Reader

Technical Assistance

(The following documents require Acrobat Reader)

Cover Crops to Reclaim Soil Quality in Flood Damaged Fields (PDF; 68 KB)

Highly Erodible Land Conservation Compliance Plan Variance (PDF; 37 KB)

Soil Quality Reclamation for Spring Flood Damaged Fields (PDF; 77 KB)

Additional Links

Contact:

 (vacant), Program Manager

Teresah Caire, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs
  Phone: (317) 290-3200, ext. 320
  Email: teresah.caire@in.usda.gov