EWP home buyout DSR 21-05-25-5082-014 spring 2025 flooding in knox county, KY for implementation of recovery measures and obstruction removal

The Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service awarded a $4.990 million cooperative agreement to Knox County Fiscal Court on September 30, 2025, under the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (CFDA 10.923) to implement recovery measures and obstruction removal in response to Spring 2025 flooding in Knox County, Kentucky, including home buyout activities. The award funds emergency stabilization, debris removal, and floodplain restoration to address imminent hazards to life and property created by the natural disaster. Performance occurs in Kentucky and continues through October 7, 2029. Knox County Fiscal Court serves as the project sponsor, responsible for local cost-share, securing necessary land rights and permits, and overseeing installation of recovery measures either through federal or local contracts. The Emergency Watershed Protection Program provides runoff retardation and erosion prevention assistance to eligible sponsors following watershed emergencies; project sponsors must apply within sixty days of the disaster occurrence and enter into a cooperative agreement with NRCS specifying sponsor responsibilities, including operation and maintenance obligations, before financial assistance is released.