Emergency Watershed Protection Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) administers the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is not necessary for a national emergency to be declared for an area to be eligible for assistance.

The program is designed to help people and conserve natural resources by relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, wind­storms, and other natural occurrences. EWP is an emergency recovery program. All projects undertaken, with the exception of the pur­chase of floodplain easements, must have a project sponsor.

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. Funding is subject to Congressional approval.

• EWP Disaster Recovery Assistance (PDF; 4.8MB)
• Natural Disaster Recovery Assistance through EWP Fact sheet (PDF; 198 KB)
• Information for EWP sponsors
• How to Request Assistance from NRCS
• USDA NRCS Responds to 2011 Montana Floods - April 2012 Report (PDF; 2.1 MB)
• National Web site - Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP)
  • EWP Recovery Assistance
  • EWP Floodplain Easement

In addition to the EWP Program, NRCS offers conservation information and expertise to individual homeowners or landowners seeking technical assistance in their rehabilitation efforts.

For current flood information, see the following Web sites:

• Montana NRCS Snowpack and Water Supply
• U.S. Geological Survey WaterWatch
• Montana Disaster and Emergency Services Division
• Montana Department of Transportation
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

For current fire information, see the following Web sites:

• National Interagency Fire Center
• Northern Rockies Coordination Center
• Northern Rockies Incident Information

Fire rehabilitation information:

• Contour Log Felling
• Contour Scarification
• Erosion Control Netting
• Fire: Resources for Preparation, Monitoring, and Recovery
• Mulching
• Protect Your Home
• Revegetating After Wildfires
• Salvage Merchantable Trees
• Sandbag Barrier
• Silt Fence
• Straw Bale Check Dam
• Stream Channel Conductivity
• Wildfire Burn Severity Classification
• Wildfire Rehabilitation Assistance: What can you do to protect your home and property after a wildfire? (PDF; 1.5 MB)
• Hydrophobicity. Soil Quality Technical Note available under Soil Quality Publications on the Soil Quality Institute web page.

Fire safety and prevention information:

• Fire: Resources for Preparation, Monitoring, and Recovery
• Preparing for Wildfire on Montana Rangelands: A Landowner's Guide (PDF; 268 KB)
• Preparing Your Home for Wildfire
• Water Conservation Tips for Homeowners

Related Recovery Information

• Farm Service Agency Emergency Conservation Program
• USDA Disaster Assistance
• After the Fire: A Landowner's Guide to Programs and Services for Assistance in Montana. Publication available on the Montana Department of Natural Resources Forestry Division Web site.

Contact

Rob Molacek
State Conservation Engineer
406-587-6828