The Future of the Watershed Approach— Rapid Watershed ...€¦ · Watershed Protection and Flood...
Transcript of The Future of the Watershed Approach— Rapid Watershed ...€¦ · Watershed Protection and Flood...
The Future of the Watershed Approach—Rapid Watershed Assessments
Jan Surface
3rd National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration
July 23, 2009
NRCS Strategic Plan
Overarching Strategies
• Cooperative Conservation
• Watershed Approach• Watershed Approach
• Market-based Approach
Authority
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
Act (P.L. 83-566) authorizes the Secretary
of Agriculture through the Natural of Agriculture through the Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to
cooperate with other Federal, State, and
local agencies to plan and carry out work of
improvements for soil conservation and
other purposes
Three Programs under PL 83-566
• Watershed Surveys and Planning (Planning)
• Watershed Operations (Implementation)
• Watershed Rehabilitation (Repair)
Watershed Surveys and Planning Program
Addresses the following resource concerns:• Urban and rural community development
• Drought/water storage• Drought/water storage
• Erosion control
• Farmland protection
• Floodplain management
• Wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat
• Water quality
Investigation & Study Types
• P.L. 566 Watershed Plans
• Floodplain Management Studies• Floodplain Management Studies
• Flood Insurance Studies
• Cooperative River Basin Studies
• Watershed Inventory and Analyses
Appropriation ChartFiscal Year Appropriation
2001 $10,868,000
2002 $10,960,000
2003 $11,197,000
2004 $10,562,000
2005 $7,083,000
2006 $6,180,000
Watershed Surveys and Planning Program Appropriation
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
2006 $6,180,000
2007 $6,056,000
2008 $0
2009 $0
$0
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Fiscal Year2010 President’s Budget: $0
Another Option for Watershed Planning
Rapid Watershed Assessments
Rapid Watershed Assessments
Provide a general picture
of resource concerns,
an estimate of the an estimate of the
conservation needs,
and an estimate of
funding needs as well
as potential sources of
funding.
Rapid Watershed Assessment Components
1. Watershed Resource ProfileResource Profile
2. Summary Assessment Matrix
RWA Watershed Resource ProfileTypical Elements in a Profile
•Physical Description
•Land Use Map
•Precipitation Map•Precipitation Map
•Common Resource Areas
•Resource Concerns
•Census and Social Data
•303d Impaired Waters
•Progress/Status
•References/Bibliography
RWA Summary Assessment MatrixContains:
• Current Conditions Table—detailing the current level of conservation in the watershed
• Future Conditions Table—identifying • Future Conditions Table—identifying appropriate suites of conservation practices needed to deal with the primary resource concerns for each major land use
• Summary Table—summarizing the various costs associated with the Resource Management System
WATERSHED NAME AND HUC NACHES, WA – 17030002 LANDUSE ACRES 4,854
LANDUSE TYPE Pasture, Irrigated TYPICAL UNIT SIZE 450
Assessment Information EST. PARTICIPATION 42%
Conservation Systems by Treatment Level
Bench-mark Future Conditions Resource Concerns
Total Units
Existing Units
New Treatment
UnitsTotal Units
Water Quantity
Water Quality
RMS System Rating -> 5 4
Irrigation System, Sprinkler (ac.) 442 437 1,878 0 1,878 4 1Irrigation System, Sprinkler (ac.) 442 437 1,878 0 1,878 4 1
Irrigation Water Conveyance, Pipeline (ft.) 430 1,079 4,638 0 4,638 5 0
Irrigation Water Management (ac.) 449 340 1,019 442 1,461 3 3
Nutrient Management (ac.) 590 340 1,019 442 1,461 0 5
Pasture & Hayland Planting (ac.) 512 146 553 73 626 2 2
Pest Management (ac.) 595 146 146 481 626 1 0
Pipeline (ft.) 516 216 928 0 928 3 0
Prescribed Grazing (ac.) 528 243 243 801 1,044 1 1
Pumping Plant (no.) 533 1 4 1 5 3 0
Residue Management, Seasonal (ac.) 344 146 146 481 626 1 -1
Water Well (no.) 642 1 1 4 5 2 0
Total Acreage at RMS Level 485 485 1602 2087
Number of RWAs funded by NHQ
FY Internal-
Nation
External-
Nation
Total
2006 87 47 1342006 87 47 134
2007 163 163
2008 110 110
Total 360 47 407
Rapid Watershed Assessment vs. PL-566 Planning
Rapid Watershed Assessment
– Rapid, Flexible
– Provides a platform for delivery of Farm Bill
PL-566 Planning
– Longer time to completion
– Must conform to Principles and Guidelines for Federal delivery of Farm Bill
programs
– Planning intensity is successive, based on resource need
– Provides a platform for Environmental Assessment
– Must conform to Principles and Guidelines for Federal funding
– Pre-determined level of planning intensity
– Typically requires Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement
Benefits of Rapid Watershed Assessment
1. Identifies resource needs and set priorities
2. Provides transparency to stakeholders
3. Provides useful information for all aspects of 3. Provides useful information for all aspects of
planning
4. Increases partner and stakeholder participation in
the planning process
5. Facilitates assessments of workload and costs
6. Provides a platform for Farm Bill delivery
• Setting Local Priorities for Farm Bill Programs 44%
• Prioritize Implementation of Conservation 68%
How are RWAs being used within each State?
Findings from 2006 Lessons Learned Questionnaire
• Prioritize Implementation of Conservation 68%
• Set Future Staffing Levels 20%
• Marketing Tool for Programs 44%
• Information Source for Grant Proposal 88%
• ID Partnerships to Leverage Funding 50%
• Platform for more extensive planning 76%
• NRCS 82% (Field 58%, Area 63%, State 79%, Multi-State 27%)
Who’s Using RWAs?
Findings from 2006 Lessons Learned Questionnaire
Multi-State 27%)
• Soil and Water Conservation Districts 68%
• State Technical Advisory Committee 18%
• Resource Conservation and Development 59%
• Local Work Groups 63%
• Federal Agencies 23%
• State Agencies 63%
• Non-profits 41%
Rapid Watershed Assessment Information on the Web
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/rwa/index.html
NRCS State RWA Info on the Web
• Arizona
• Colorado
• Delaware
• Idaho
• Pacific Islands
Area
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Nebraska• Idaho
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Nebraska
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
Questions/Comments
Contact Jan M. Surface
National Watershed PlannerNational Watershed Planner
202-690-3501