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Government Disaster GrantsConditional

USDA NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection - Community Hazard Recovery

Emergency Watershed Protection can provide technical and financial assistance to eligible community sponsors addressing imminent threats to life and property caused by windstorms and other natural disasters that impair a watershed.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Who should look at this?

Good fit for: Municipalities, counties, towns or other qualified sponsors dealing with tornado-created hazards such as debris-clogged waterways, unstable streambanks, severe erosion threatening infrastructure, damaged drainage features or wind-borne debris affecting watershed function.

Potential audience: Eligible local government and other qualified public sponsors responsible for community watershed hazards after a natural disaster

EWP requires an eligible sponsor and a qualifying watershed impairment that creates an imminent threat to life or property. Windstorms are within program scope; individual projects and costs must be evaluated and approved by NRCS.

Government / Public AgencyUtility / InfrastructureAssociation / Coalition

What recovery capacity might it support?

Materials & SuppliesVehicles & EquipmentSkilled Labor & TradesProfessional Services & ExpertiseAdministrative & Operational SupportTransportation & Delivery

Availability: Standing federal emergency-recovery program; July 27 project eligibility must be confirmed with Wisconsin NRCS

Deadline: Sponsors generally must submit a formal request within 60 days of the disaster occurrence, or within 60 days from when access to the site becomes available.

Funding / value: NRCS may generally bear up to 75% of eligible emergency-measure construction costs; higher federal cost share can apply in qualifying limited-resource areas.

Do not confuse this with:

Not direct assistance to an individual household and not a general debris-removal grant. The hazard must fit EWP watershed and imminent-threat requirements, and work proceeds through an eligible sponsor.

Applicability

NRCS explicitly includes windstorms in EWP disaster scope, and the program does not require a presidential or state disaster declaration to begin. July 27 projects may be relevant where a qualifying watershed impairment and imminent threat exist, but NRCS must determine project eligibility.

Documentation and cost rules

Potential sponsors should document the hazard, location, disaster connection, imminent threat, site access, proposed emergency measure, estimated costs and local sponsorship/cost-share capacity, then contact Wisconsin NRCS promptly.

Prior authorization: yes

Previously incurred costs: limited

The Hub is a starting point, not an eligibility determination. Confirm current rules with the administering organization before relying on a grant, reimbursement pathway, tax treatment, or operational resource.