WATERSHED PROGRAMS - WFPO
The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (WFPO) Program helps units of federal, state, local and federally recognized tribal governments (project sponsors) protect and restore watersheds.
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Active Watershed Rehabilitation Projects in New Mexico
Santa Cruz River Watershed – Site (Dam) 1
Sponsors: Santa Fe-Pojoaque SWCD, New Mexico
Watershed Rehabilitation Program (within WFPO) Project: Planning Phase
Site 1 in the Santa Cruz River Watershed of Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties, New Mexico, is currently working through the three major phases of the Watershed Rehabilitation Program as an NRCS funded watershed rehabilitation partnership project. The FONSI and Final Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment accessible via the link below represent major accomplishments in the Planning Phase (which includes satisfying all NEPA requirements). This dam provides protection against flooding to over 1000 New Mexicans who live and work downstream. Additionally, it protects 4 county roads, several private ranch roads, two State Highways and one U.S. Highway that together support hundreds of vehicles daily. Amongst the previously mentioned critical infrastructure, the dam also protects power lines, water lines, irrigation ditches (acequias) and several drainage channels (arroyos). Annually the rehabilitation project is expected to provide approximately $57,000 of flood damage reduction benefits.
Tortugas Arroyo Watershed – Site (Dam) 1
Sponsors: Elephant Butte Irrigation District, New Mexico
Watershed Rehabilitation Program (within WFPO) Project: Planning Phase
Site 1 in the Tortugas Arroyos Watershed of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, will be included in an NRCS funded watershed rehabilitation partnership project. Currently starting the planning/NEPA phase, the dam provides protection against flooding to about 2,200 acres of irrigated cropland and New Mexico State University – Main Campus, with a student population of approximately 14,000 and another 1000 who live, study and work downstream. Additionally, the dam protects two interstate highways, that support travel for many vehicles daily. Among other critical infrastructure, the dam also protects power lines, water lines, fiber optic cables and the railroad. Annually the rehabilitation project is expected to provide approximately $80,000 of flood damage reduction benefits.
Rincon Arroyo Watershed Flood Protection Project
Sponsors: Doña Ana County, New Mexico
Watershed Operations Program (within WFPO) Project: Planning Phase
The Rincon Arroyo Watershed of Doña Ana and Sierra Counties, New Mexico, is currently working through the three major phases of the Watershed Operations Program as an NRCS funded watershed flood protection partnership project. Presently in the Planning Phase (which includes satisfying all NEPA requirements), the goal of the project is to provide some level of flood protection to the downstream watershed which includes the village of Rincon, as part of the Town of Hatch with a population of approximately 300 people. Additionally, the project will offer flood protection to several county and town roads, several private ranch roads, two State Highways and one U.S. Interstate Highway that together support hundreds of vehicles daily. Amongst the previously mentioned critical infrastructure, the watershed flood protection project also plans to provide some level of flood protection to power lines, water lines, irrigation ditches (including acequias), a wastewater treatment plant and mitigate storm flows from the Rincon Arroyo (drainage channel).
WFPO Resources
Watershed and Flood Prevention Act
Program governance - Public Law 83-566
Success Stories
Discover the incredible work WFPO performs across the nation
National Water Management Center
Bringing the landscape together: Local community goals and watershed scale planning solutions. The National Water Management Center (NWMC), located in Little Rock, Arkansas, serves as a focal point for water resources information exchange.
Learn MoreReady to get started?
Contact your local service center to start your application.
How to Get Assistance
Do you farm or ranch and want to make improvements to the land that you own or lease?
Natural Resources Conservation Service offers technical and financial assistance to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners.
To get started with NRCS, we recommend you stop by your local NRCS field office. We’ll discuss your vision for your land.
NRCS provides landowners with free technical assistance, or advice, for their land. Common technical assistance includes: resource assessment, practice design and resource monitoring. Your conservation planner will help you determine if financial assistance is right for you.
We’ll walk you through the application process. To get started on applying for financial assistance, we’ll work with you:
- To fill out an AD 1026, which ensures a conservation plan is in place before lands with highly erodible soils are farmed. It also ensures that identified wetland areas are protected.
- To meet other eligibility certifications.
Once complete, we’ll work with you on the application, or CPA 1200.
Applications for most programs are accepted on a continuous basis, but they’re considered for funding in different ranking periods. Be sure to ask your local NRCS district conservationist about the deadline for the ranking period to ensure you turn in your application in time.
As part of the application process, we’ll check to see if you are eligible. To do this, you’ll need to bring:
- An official tax ID (Social Security number or an employer ID)
- A property deed or lease agreement to show you have control of the property; and
- A farm number.
If you don’t have a farm number, you can get one from USDA’s Farm Service Agency. Typically, the local FSA office is located in the same building as the local NRCS office. You only need a farm number if you’re interested in financial assistance.
NRCS will take a look at the applications and rank them according to local resource concerns, the amount of conservation benefits the work will provide and the needs of applicants. View Application Ranking Dates by State.
If you’re selected, you can choose whether to sign the contract for the work to be done.
Once you sign the contract, you’ll be provided standards and specifications for completing the practice or practices, and then you will have a specified amount of time to implement. Once the work is implemented and inspected, you’ll be paid the rate of compensation for the work if it meets NRCS standards and specifications.