The Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program (Watershed Operations) includes the Flood Prevention Operations Program authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 (P.L. 78-534) and the provisions of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (P.L. 83-566).
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations Program
The Flood Control Act originally authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to install watershed improvement measures in 11 watersheds, also known as pilot watersheds, to reduce flood, sedimentation, and erosion damage; improve the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water; and advance the conservation and proper utilization of land. WFPO provides for cooperation between the Federal government and the States and their political subdivisions to prevent erosion, floodwater, and sediment damage; to further the conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water; and to further the conservation and proper utilization of land in authorized watersheds.
Local Sponsors have made extensive use of the WFPO Program since the late 1950s in North Dakota. The majority of projects have been targeted to flood damage reduction, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation to date. Dams, levees, and flood diversion channels are typical infrastructure components of these projects.
The map BELOW shows the location of just the 50 dams constructed through the program to date in ND.
Current/Recent North Dakota PL-566 Watershed Projects
Watershed Project Name / Sponsor / Year Started / Status (February 2023)
Rush River
Cass County Joint WRD2015 Plan/EA Authorized.
Final engineering design is in progress and anticipated to be completed May 2023.
North Branch Park River
Park River Joint WRD2015
All internal NRCS technical reviews are completed. Draft Plan-EIS expected to be released for comment May 2023.
Upper Maple River
Cass County Joint WRD2015
Draft Plan/EA in development
Shortfoot Creek
Sargent County WRD2016
Draft Plan/EA in development
Tongue River
Pembina County WRD2016
Submitted to NHQ for programmatic review May 2022
North Branch Antelope Creek
Richland County WRD2016
Draft Plan/EA in development
Forest River
Walsh County WRD2015
Planning ceased, final report complete
Swan Creek
Cass County Joint WRD2015
Planning ceased, final report complete
Upper Turtle River Dam 10
Grand Forks County WRD and SCD2020
Planning in progress
Crooked Creek
Sargent County WRD2021
Planning in progress
NRCS completed an analysis of watershed benefits from WFPO dams in 2018, and the 50 PL-566 dams in ND generate the following benefits:
- $6.9 Million in Flood Damage Reduction annually for agriculture
- $1.7 Million in Flood Damage Reduction annually for non-agriculture
- $1.3 Million in Other Benefits annually for agriculture
- $0.6 Million in Other Benefits annually for non-agriculture
- Save 4.4 Million tons of soil from erosion
- Save 660,000 tons of soil erosion annually
- Provide numerous recreational opportunities for rural North Dakota
- Provide 103,000 acre-feet of flood storage
- Benefit approximately 200,000 people
National level benefits from all NRCS dams are summarized in this Fact Sheet:
General information on the Watershed Operations Program can be found at the link below:
Local government, district, or tribal organizations in North Dakota with an interest in participating in the NRCS PL-566 Watershed Program are encouraged to contact:
Christi Fisher
State Conservation Engineer
(701)530-2091
christi.fisher@usda.gov