Natural Resources Conservation Service A report to the Red River Valley Association

1. Natural Resources Conservation ServiceA report to the Red River Valley Association Steve Uselton Resource Conservationist Water Resources Staff USDA-NRCS Temple, Texas

2. Watershed Activities in Red River Valley

3. American Reinvestment and Recovery Act(ARRA)FY09 – FY10$26.4 M statewide $20.6 M obligated w/PA’s

4. ARRATA & FA Summary • Operations Funds • Repair Projects (Slope Failures) • Originally 20 projects (None in RRV Area), 1 terminated, LR issues • $12.964 million FA, $3.413 million TA • 12 Projects completed • Mitigation Projects • Caney Creek 3A (RRV Area – Fannin County), Project completed • $99,000 TA, $300,000 FA • 3 Projects not in RRV Area (2-Elm Creek Cen-Tex, 1-Big Sandy) • $65,000 TA, $872,000 FA • Rehabilitation Funds • Upgrade existing dams to meet high hazard criteria • Originally 2 projects (None in RRV Area), 1 terminated LR issues • Calaveras Creek FRS No. 6, $1.035 million TA, $1.8 million FA,

5. Lower Brushy CreekSite 4ARepair Project

9. ARRA – Red River ValleyMitigation Project

10. Caney Creek Site 3AConstruction completed 2008

11. Caney Creek Site 3A

18. Texas Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (PL-566), FY10$4.3 million statewide$219,000 Red River Valley (funding to work on mitigation for Caney Creek 3A plus 6 assessments of high hazard dams)

19. High Hazard Dam AssessmentsRed River Valley • 2 Dams – Auds Creek Watershed, Lamar County • FRS Nos. 4 & 8A • 2 Dams – Choctaw Creek Watershed, Grayson County • FRS Nos. 16 & 28 • 1 Dam – Farmers Creek Watershed, Montague County • FRS No. 9 • 1 Dam – Pine Creek Watershed, Lamar County • FRS No. 17

20. Dam Rehabilitation Needs$377 million statewide for 258 dams$8.5 million for 6 dams in Red River Valley

21. Dam Repair and Maintenance Needs (2010 survey)Statewide: $44 million for repairs to 200 dams; $11 million for maintenance on 1,968 damsRRV: $1.7 million for repairs to 14 dams; $674,000 for maintenance on 179 dams

22. Watershed Activities in Red River Valley

23. Watershed Activities in Red River Valley In 2009 Texas State Legislature approved $15 M for 2010-11 biennium for repairs & maintenance TSSWCB administers grant program for allocating these funds to local SWCD’s 12 sub-watersheds located in 11 SWCD’s 167 FRS’s including 3 multi-purpose structures $0 allocated for repairs to FRS’s in RRV $300,600 allocated for O&M of FRS’s in RRV

24. FY2011Presidents BudgetWatersheds and Flood Prevention Operations: $0 millionWatershed Rehabilitation Program: $40.497 millionSenate Bill 3606Watersheds and Flood Prevention Operations: $24.394 million($14.88 million – Earmarks)Watershed Rehabilitation Program: $40.497 million

25. Farm Bill Program Funding Texas/Red River Valley, FY10 • EQIP – Tx $76.1 M, RRV $14.6 M • AWEP – Tx $4.4 M, RRV $1.4 M • WHIP – Tx $7.5 M, RRV $1.5 M • CStP – Tx $14.5 M, RRV $4.7 M • WRP – Tx $36.3 M, RRV $7 M • FRPP – Tx $2 M, RRV $0 • GRP – Tx $22.7 M, RRV $708,000

26. Potential WRP Acres

27. Wetlands Reserve ProgramRed River Basin $7 Million allocated in RRV Area Acquired WRP Easements on 5,763 Acres Lamar, Delta, Red River, and Bowie Counties

29. EQIPWildfires – Special Emphasis Area 2009 • Special Emphasis Area - Prior year EQIP contracts (most completed – 1 year contracts & some ongoing) • 29,000 acres • $234,000 • Cross-fencing • Deferred Grazing

31. Agricultural Water Enhancement ProgramTexas Agriculture Water Conservation Enhancement ProgramOgallala Aquifer NRCS Partnered with Texas Water Development Board Cost effective irrigation water conservation Irrigation System Improvement (drip & micro irrigation) Irrigation Water Management Includes 49 counties in the Texas Plains Ogallala Aquifer Region All or a portion of 20 counties are within RRV Area

32. Agricultural Water Enhancement ProgramLake Arrowhead Watershed Project to improve available water quantity • Partner - Chisholm Trail RC&D, Inc • Enhance surface water availability • Brush control or suppression • Range seeding • Prescribed grazing • Fencing • Ponds • Water wells & pipelines • 185,248 acres

33. Resource Conservation and Development

34. RC&D • RRV contains portions of 8 RC&D Areas in Texas • 2010 Funding within RRV $523,000 • Project Highlights • Assisted with grants for repairing failing septic systems • Assisted with grants for equipment and training for numerous volunteer fire departments • Assisted with grant for Agricultural Water Enhancement Project – Lake Arrowhead Watershed Project, brush control • Assisted with grants for other community projects

35. Emergency Watershed Protection • Phase II Projects ongoing in Fannin County from prior year floods & funding • 2010 Funding $825,000 • Summer 2009 Floods • Lamar, Delta & Hopkins Counties • Repair headwalls, stabilize streambanks

39. Questions?

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