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o 0 r..:.,_,;l,,,!~_,:~:':';:';'~-;'~-{:f:_::::-~';;-', ".': ::;~.'<-'~;.: - '.: i '::'~''-,,?,:..:-o_,;, ,,:, ',,' .~~-.~' ,/j,.'i':'_:::';,"?,K',;,:~~;:,:;:'Bl":,:'\._. -'---:-'iJ')-t::~~~&:'ii~&.i.;'rJi%if~~~DmW. 2s7t'htroduction and Overview The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (Public Law 83-566) authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to provide technical and financial assistance to local organizations for planning and carrying out watershed projects. The Act was passed in 1954 as Congress recognized the serious damages being sustained by our nation's streams and flood plains from erosion and sedimentation and economic losses caused by severe flooding. Over the years, as national priorities changed, the program was amended to include a wide variety of purposes and ol;Jjectives, so that today almost any water-related issue may be addressed through the program. Eligible purposes include: (I) preventing dama~e from prncif\11..-V.901water and sediment; (2) furthering the cons"rv"tion, de'(;I<!Qment, utilization and dijpow of water; or ) conserving and properly using land. The Act defines its purposes to be watershed protection, flood prevention, and agricultural and nonagricultural water management. Conservation land treatment, structural and non structural measures are used to address these purposes. The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program is designed to bridge the gap between the on-farm conservation practices installed by individual landowners and the larger programs for development and flood protection of major river valleys. -S~(; ~ " The Act requires that this authority be limited to watershed areas of less than 250,000 acres in size. It is often referred to as the "small watershed program." Public Law 83-566 presents a unique and flexible approach to area-wide water resources planning and management that distinguishes it from other federal programs. Application of conservation land treatment measures to upstream watersheds is the main feature that separates this program from the otherS. The program emphasizes planning through interdisciplinary teams which include the sponsors, other agencies and environmental groups in all stages of plan development. Upon request from a locally formed group of sponsors, a comprehensive plan is developed that considers all of the natural resource concerns within a watershed area. Problems are identified and alternative solutions are formulated. Project sponsors select the alternative(s) that best meet their needs and objectives. Financial assistance, through a cost sharing arrangement, is made available to help them carry out their plan. This brochure outlines procedures to follow to get a project underway and the sponsors' responsibilities as the project progresses. It also describes a variety of water resources problems, and how this versatile program may be used to address them. Page I