USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest $650,000 in a new California project that aims to develop 
a watershed work plan in the Lower Deer Creek Watershed in Tulare County. The NRCS approved plan will evaluate surface and groundwater resources and develop alternatives for any identified resource concerns.
Funding for the project is being provided through NRCS’s Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. NRCS works with local groups to help prevent floods, protect watersheds, improve agricultural water management and enhance wildlife habitat through this program.
“The health of the nation’s watersheds is important to reduce potential damage from flooding and erosion,” said Carlos Suarez, NRCS state conservationist for California. “This program plays a critical role in protecting lives and property and improving natural resources within our watersheds.”
Projects funded under this program are both remedial and new and will take place in smaller watersheds that cover 250,000 acres or less. The projects are owned by local sponsors, such as conservation districts, local governments and American Indian tribes. NRCS serves as the primary technical adviser to project sponsors because of its engineering and environmental expertise and ability to deliver science-base technology and knowledge about the watershed’s natural resources and ecosystem.
Since 1947, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program has helped communities address critical needs on flood control, water management, watershed protection and development. This strong federal, state and local partnership has resulted in the construction of more than 2,000 watershed projects that help communities in every state and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. These watershed projects reflect a federal investment of about $6.2 billion and deliver an estimated $2.2 billion in average annual benefits nationwide.
More information on this program is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov.
Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service-California