Middle fork irrigation district for the planning and design of the clear branch DAM remedial operations project in hood river county, oregon

The National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) awarded a $2.565 million Cooperative Agreement to the Middle Fork Irrigation District on September 11, 2025, for planning and design services related to the Clear Branch Dam Remedial Operations Project in Hood River County, Oregon. This funding supports pre-construction activities through September 30, 2030, under CFDA 10.904 (Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program), which provides technical and financial assistance to state and local agencies for watershed protection and water resource management initiatives.

The project deliverables focus on planning and engineering design phases for dam remediation work intended to address flood prevention and watershed protection objectives. As a Cooperative Agreement, this award structure indicates shared responsibility between NRCS and the irrigation district for project implementation, with the awardee responsible for site-specific planning documents, design specifications, and environmental assessments necessary to support future construction activities. The extended completion timeline reflects the comprehensive planning and design scope typical of flood prevention infrastructure projects funded under this program, which commonly precede multi-million-dollar construction phases.