HARRISBURG, PA, Nov. 26, 2025 – The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program helps local communities recover after natural disasters strike. The Pennsylvania Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) uses EWP as a recovery program aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property resulting from a significant floodings event. NRCS provides financial and engineering assistance to local communities to assist them in stabilizing streambanks, removing debris, establishing vegetative cover, and addressing other natural resource-related concerns caused by flooding.

Recovery projects begin with a local sponsor contacting NRCS after a natural disaster. Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, townships, and conservation districts. These sponsors work with NRCS to identify sites eligible for EWP assistance. Interested public and private landowners must work through the local sponsor to have their property considered. NRCS and the sponsor then provide assistance to private landowners and municipalities affected by the event. NRCS will reimburse the Sponsor 75 percent of construction funding for each project and provide engineering assistance. The sponsor is responsible for providing the other 25 percent of construction funds.  

On August 9-10, 2024, Tropical Storm Debby hit Pennsylvania, causing significant and record-breaking rainfall and subsequent rounds of flash, creek, and river flooding. Areas received 5-6 inches of rain in a short period of time. This event caused significant adverse impacts to both private and public infrastructure. Many residents were displaced from their homes. Governor Shapiro issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for counties shortly after the event, and then a Presidential Disaster Declaration was made on September 11, 2024.

Within days, PA NRCS solicited interest from local sponsors and began visiting sites. Over 150 responses were received from 14 counties, located primarily within the Northern Tier. NRCS began making site visits and determining project eligibility. Eligible sites must have a permanent residence or business located within 50 feet of a stream and have experienced severe streambank damage because of the declared disaster. This damage creates a future risk to the structure if another flood event would occur.  In the end, 80 sites spread across 10 counties received funding. All but one project will be completed by the end of calendar year 2025. The hardest hit counties were Potter (30 sites), Lycoming (20 sites), and Tioga (15 sites).  Others included Union (5), Snyder (3), Elk (3), Cameron (1), Clearfield (1), Huntingdon (1), and Susquehanna (1).  

Sponsors included seven Conservation Districts, one County Commissioners Office, and two local municipalities. In addition to requesting EWP assistance, and contributing 25 percent of the construction cost, sponsors must secure all necessary land rights/construction easements, acquire the appropriate regulatory permits, solicit a contractor to perform the work, and agree to provide operation and maintenance of the completed emergency measures. In exchange, NRCS provides site-specific engineering designs, prepares bid packages, conducts daily on-site engineering inspection assistance, and up to 75 percent construction cost-share. For the Tropical Storm Debby event, PA-Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) and PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) combined funding sources to provide the remaining 25 percent of non-federal cost share to sponsors. PADEP has been, and continues to be, a significant supporter and financial partner to NRCS and local sponsors when it comes to administering the EWP program in Pennsylvania. Without PADEP’s involvement, sponsors would have a hard time financially supporting these projects. The total construction cost estimate for this event is $6.8M, of which NRCS will cover 75 percent, approximately $5.09M.  

In total, 12 NRCS engineering staff and 10 technicians/planners assisted with restoring these 80 sites. For more information on the EWP program, please visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/PA.  

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.  Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today. 

For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat.  NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.