PL-566 – “The Small Watershed Program”
The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954, Public Law 83-566, also known simply as PL-566, authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to assist local units of government to provide protection from flooding during major storm events within sub-basins of identified watersheds, within our major river systems. Flood protection under this program has been provided similar to PL-534 through the construction of dams, dikes and channel work, and to a lesser extent through the relocation, elevation, and flood-proofing of property and vital infrastructure.
More recent changes to this program have allowed for acquisition of conservation easements within floodplains where repetitive damages have occurred, as well as the installation of land treatment measures similar to PL-534 on individual farms and other private land holdings to protect on-site productivity and improve water quality.
Contact Information
If you would like more information about the Indiana NRCS watershed program, please contact Mike Cox at: 317-295-5853.
