Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.904
- Agency
-
National Resources Conservation Service
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 1,903 $1,511,565,714 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- (Watershed Program; Public Law 566 Operations Phase)
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury accounts
-
- 12-1000-0-1-302
- 12-1072-0-1-301
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Service funds watershed protection, flood prevention, and water resource development projects under Assistance Listing 10.904, with the most recent grant award issued on July 13, 2026.
The program has awarded $1.51 billion in federal dollars across 1,903 grants since 1995, though award volume has declined sharply: the program distributed 50 awards in 2022 but only 12 in the first seven months of 2026. Grant opportunities posted to the program remain sporadic and often state-specific or regionally targeted; the most recent nationally open opportunity identified is the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) Program, solicited September 30, 2024 with a due date of February 13, 2025, which supports 501(c)(3) nonprofits providing technical services.
Funded activities span watershed planning and environmental assessment, flood damage reduction and prevention infrastructure, irrigation system modernization and efficiency projects, stormwater capture and treatment for water quality protection, dam safety and remedial repair, and fish passage and stream restoration. Recent awards include $9.94 million to Washington County for irrigation efficiency improvements, $80 million to Santa Clara Valley Water District for Upper Llagas Creek flood control implementation in California, $16.43 million to Uintah County for the Ashley Valley Watershed Project in Utah, and $7.21 million to the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission for watershed planning across five basins. Smaller awards fund watershed plan and environmental assessment development, typically in the $500 thousand to $2 million range.
The assistance-type mix is predominantly Cooperative Agreements (71% of awards, 1,347 grants) with a smaller share of Project Grants (29%, 556 awards). NRCS is the sole funding agency. Recipients include county and municipal governments, soil and water conservation districts, irrigation districts, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations. Applicants must demonstrate watershed plan approval, local sponsor commitment to long-term operation and maintenance, favorable benefit-cost ratio, and absence of critical environmental issues. The program is available in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Mariana Islands, and Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands. Project periods typically extend three to five years post-award; multi-year agreements continue until works of improvement are installed or terminated by mutual agreement.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide technical and financial assistance in carrying out works of improvement to protect, develop, and utilize the land and water resources in watersheds. The assistance is provided to State and local agencies, tribal governments, and other Fede
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Any State agency, county or groups of counties, municipality, town or township, soil and water conservation district, flood prevention or flood control district, Indian tribe or tribal organization, or any other nonprofit agency with authority under State law to levy taxes, condemnation authority, and to carry out maintenance, and operate watershed works of improvement may apply for assistance. This program is available in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Mariana Islands and the Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands.
- Credentials and documentation
Applications must designate the proposed project area, be properly signed and attested to by all applicants, and set forth the need for the proposed project.
- Uses of assistance
Technical assistance is provided in planning, designing, and installing watershed works of improvement. Financial assistance is provided for sharing costs of implementing measures for watershed protection, flood prevention, agricultural water management, sedimentation control, public water based fish, wildlife, recreation; municipal and industrial water supply. Authorized watershed area must not exceed 250,000 acres. Capacity of a single structure is limited to 25,000 acre-feet of total capacity and 12,500 acre-feet of floodwater detention.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Continues until all works of improvement are installed or their installation is terminated by mutual agreement.
How to apply
- Preapplication coordination
Based on the potential impacts of the program an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment may be required for this listing.
- Application procedure
Application forms and information are available in all NRCS offices and from designated State agencies.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
(1) The watershed must meet the requirements of the law; (2) an approved watershed plan has been prepared; (3) the local sponsors should indicate willingness to carry out a watershed project including acquiring land rights, permits, local cost-share, authority to levy taxes, condemnation authority, and ability for operating and maintaining works for life of project; (4) the project has environmental, economic and social benefits that exceed the costs for a favorable benefit-cost ratio; and (5) no critical environmental issues exist.
- Award procedure
Details of the procedure are available from the State and field offices of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Receipt of the application is acknowledged as soon as it is determined to be valid.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) Program | Closed | ||
| AL NRCS Technical Assistance FY 2023 | Closed | ||
| AL NRCS Outreach and Education, FY2023 | Closed | ||
| Partnerships to provide direct technical services | Closed | ||
| West Virginia Funding Opportunity Announcement | Closed |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 1,903 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi Soil And Water Conservation Commission | $202,824,671 | 13% |
| 2 | Arkansas Black Mayors Association, Inc. | $115,221,462 | 8% |
| 3 | Santa Clara Valley Water District | $96,761,419 | 6% |
| 4 | Etowah Water & Sewer Authority | $70,472,216 | 5% |
| 5 | Deschutes Basin Board Of Control | $66,704,740 | 4% |
| 6 | Whiteriver Regional Irrigation | $61,053,914 | 4% |
| 7 | North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission | $55,142,936 | 4% |
| 8 | New York City Dept-Parks-Rec | $46,250,000 | 3% |
| 9 | National Experienced Workforce Solutions, Inc. | $33,811,546 | 2% |
| 10 | Duchesne County Water Conservancy District | $31,720,812 | 2% |
10 of 300 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $31,625,397 |
| FY2025 | $103,732,735 |
| FY2024 | $166,650,542 |
| FY2023 | $313,275,880 |
| FY2022 | $354,798,787 |
| FY2021 | $122,577,401 |
| FY2020 | $128,707,282 |
| FY2012 | $310,936 |
| FY2011 | $7,018,234 |
| FY2010 | $70,720,453 |
| FY2009 | $28,954,544 |
| FY2008 | $19,763,917 |
| FY2007 | $9,396,184 |
| FY2006 | $7,959,876 |
| FY2005 | $3,348,205 |
| FY2004 | $8,400,290 |
| FY2003 | $27,967,918 |
| FY2002 | $25,026,238 |
| FY2001 | $29,749,762 |
Show all 19
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.904?
Assistance Listing 10.904 is Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention, a federal grant program run by National Resources Conservation Service (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention?
Its CFDA number is 10.904: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.904 awarded?
1,903 grant awards under 10.904 have obligated $1,511,565,714 in federal funds to 300 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.904?
The recipients obligated the most under Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention are Mississippi Soil And Water Conservation Commission ($202,824,671), Arkansas Black Mayors Association, Inc. ($115,221,462) and Santa Clara Valley Water District ($96,761,419).
How much did 10.904 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 10.904 obligated $103,732,735 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 10.904?
No opportunity listed under 10.904 is open now. The latest, Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES) Program, was posted on September 30, 2024.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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