Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Programs (PL-566 and PL-534)

Overview

The purpose of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Programs (PL-566 and PL-534) are to assist State and local governments plan and carry out works of improvement for watershed protection and restoration. They provide for technical and financial assistance by the NRCS to local organizations representing the people living in small watersheds. The PL-534 applies to the Upper Potomac drainage (Grant, Morgan, Mineral, Hardy, Pendleton, Hampshire Counties), while PL-566 applies to the balance of the State. Resource concerns addressed by these programs include:

Flooding Water supply Water quality Soil erosion Fish and wildlife habitat development Water-based recreation

The NRCS provides technical assistance in watershed planning, design, project installation, operation and maintenance of installed measures. NRCS also works with local sponsoring organizations as well as other local, state, and federal entities to obtain all necessary land rights and non-federal matching funds.

These programs match local, state, and federal funds and technical resources to provide a seamless delivery system to local sponsoring organizations. West Virginia places a strong emphasis on developing locally led plans that address all relevant resource issues. The NRCS has assisted local sponsors and watershed organizations install 168 dams and over 50 miles of stream channel improvement in West Virginia.

Project Benefits

These projects provide the following benefits to West Virginia:

• $34.2 million annually in flood damage reduction
• $19.9 million annually of other benefits (recreation, water supply, etc.)
• 1.1 million people benefited (63 percent of the State of West Virginia)
• 832,000 recreational visitor days
• 355 bridges and 248 miles of road protected
• 11,800 homes and 926 businesses protected
• 1,800 farms benefited
• 2.5 million acres benefited

The combination of industrial water supply and flood free land can draw new businesses to a community and helped broaden and stabilize the economic base. The Mill Creek Project in Jackson County generated $30 million worth of growth.

Aging Dam Maintenance and Rehabilitation
The Aging Dam Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program will enable West Virginia to address rehabilitation concerns impacting some of the 167 dams, constructed with NRCS assistance across West Virginia. Some of these dams are reaching the end of their design life and could pose a threat to public safety. This is becoming a major concern nationwide.

Current Activities
The NRCS is currently providing the following planning assistance to local sponsors:

• Morgan County Water Resources Assessment
• Berkeley County Water Resources Assessment
• Brush Creek Watershed Plan (Mercer County)
• Dunloup Creek Watershed
• Big Sandy Watershed
• Knapps Creek Watershed Plan (Pocahontas County)
• Horse Shoe Run Natural Stream Restoration Project
• Hardy County Water Resources Assessment
• Lost River Dam 16 (Hardy County)
• Reprioritization of High Hazard Dams for Rehabilitation
• Brush Creek Watershed Dam Rehabilitation (Mercer County)
• Deckers Creek Watershed Dam Rehabilitation (Preston County)

The NRCS has completed plans for the following projects, which are now in the design phase:

• Upper Tygart Valley Watershed Project (Randolph County)
• Upper Deckers Creek Watershed (Monongalia and Preston Counties)
• Little Whitestick Creek Phase 3 (Raleigh County)
• Inwood Watershed (Berkeley County)

The following projects are in the construction or implementation phase:

• Little Whitestick Creek Project Phase 2 (Raleigh County)
• Lost River Dam 10 (Hardy County – PL-534)
• North Fork Hughes River Watershed Project (Ritchie County)
• Potomac Headwaters Land Treatment Watershed Project (Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, Hampshire, and Grant Counties)

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