Watershed Rehabilitation Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 10.916
- Agency
-
National Resources Conservation Service
Department of Agriculture
- Grant awards
- 308 $277,979,951 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- (Watershed Rehabilitation; PL-566 Watershed Program)
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury accounts
-
- 12-1142-0-1-301
- 12-1002-0-1-301
- 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 dam rehabilitation for existing watershed structures originally constructed with prior USDA watershed program assistance, with the most recent grant award in July 2026 under CFDA 10.916.
The program provides technical and financial assistance to extend dam life and meet applicable safety and performance standards. Representative recent awards include rehabilitation design work for New Creek Site 1 in West Virginia ($523 thousand, July 2026), the Fourche Maline Site 7M dam rehabilitation in Oklahoma ($7.9 million, June 2026), and vegetation work on Cottonwood Creek Site 54 in Oklahoma ($48 thousand, July 2026). Project scope ranges from planning and environmental assessments through design and construction phases. Eligible applicants include state agencies, counties, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations with state authority to operate watershed works.
The program shows declining recent activity: award volume has contracted from 26 awards in 2022 to 5 in 2026 year-to-date, though 308 total awards since 2003 indicate sustained historical engagement. Combined federal dollars obligated total $278 million, with non-federal cost-share contributions adding $11.1 million. Awards are predominantly Cooperative Agreements (255 of 308, or 83 percent) with a smaller share of Project Grants. The National Resources Conservation Service is the sole funding source across all awards.
Award magnitudes vary widely: most recent awards range from under $50 thousand for site-specific work up to approximately $8 million for multi-year design-and-construction projects. Larger construction-phase awards typically span multiple years, with completion dates extending through 2028. State offices including Texas, West Virginia, Georgia, and Oklahoma have received multiple recent awards.
Applicants must demonstrate that the existing watershed project meets law requirements, that dam operation and maintenance are current, that local sponsors can acquire land rights and permits and provide local cost-share, and that environmental, economic, and social benefits exceed costs. Applications are evaluated by analyzing dam condition and failure consequences, with consultation from state dam safety agencies. No recent grant opportunities specific to this program were posted; the most recently posted opportunity under NRCS was the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services program (due February 13, 2025), which funds technical services delivery rather than direct watershed rehabilitation projects.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide technical and financial assistance to rehabilitate dams originally constructed with assistance of USDA Watershed Programs. Rehabilitation must extend the life of the dam and meet applicable safety and performance standards. Priority is giv
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Sponsoring local organizations for existing watershed projects that include dams that were originally constructed with assistance from one of the following water resource programs: Public Law 78-534, Section 13 of the Flood Control Act of 1944; Public Law 156-67, the pilot watershed program authorized under the heading Flood Prevention of the Department of Agriculture Appropriation Act of 1954; Public Law 83-566, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954; and Subtitle H of Title XV of the Agriculture and Flood Act of 1981, commonly known as the Resource Conservation and Development Program.
- Beneficiary 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 carry out, maintain, and operate watershed works of improvement may become a sponsoring local organization for a watershed rehabilitation project.
- Credentials and documentation
Applications must designate the proposed dam to be rehabilitated, be properly signed and attested to by all sponsoring local organizations of the existing watershed, and set forth the need for the proposed project.
- Uses of assistance
Technical assistance is provided for planning, designing, and work necessary to extend service life of dam. Financial assistance for implementing the works of improvement is provided by cost-sharing. Watershed rehabilitation projects may include reconstruction or decommissioning of the dam and relocation or flood proofing of downstream property and infrastructure.
- 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
- Application procedure
An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the Single Point of Contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
(1) The existing watershed project must meet the requirements of the law; (2) operation and maintenance of the existing dam must be current; (3) the local sponsors must agree to carry out the watershed project including acquiring land rights, permits, local cost-share, authority to levy taxes, condemnation authority, and ability for operating and maintaining the rehabilitated dam for the life of the project; (4) the project has environmental, economic and social benefits that exceed the costs for a favorable benefit-cost ratio.
- Award procedure
Applications are evaluated by analyzing the condition of the dam and consequences of failure of the dam. The State Dam Safety Agency is also consulted for input. Details of the procedure are available from the State 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 |
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 308 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Of Oklahoma | $55,336,077 | 20% |
| 2 | Soil & Water Conservation Commission GEO | $50,286,385 | 18% |
| 3 | West Virgina Conservation Agency | $28,917,295 | 10% |
| 4 | Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board | $22,752,080 | 8% |
| 5 | Whiteriver Regional Irrigation | $14,571,311 | 5% |
| 6 | Flood Control District Of Maricopa County | $11,000,000 | 4% |
| 7 | Mississippi Soil And Water Conservation Commission | $10,519,729 | 4% |
| 8 | Elk Conservation District | $6,400,775 | 2% |
8 of 109 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $13,478,131 |
| FY2025 | $19,334,961 |
| FY2024 | $10,692,074 |
| FY2023 | $56,299,341 |
| FY2022 | $39,255,006 |
| FY2021 | $33,310,763 |
| FY2020 | $18,658,389 |
| FY2012 | $469,260 |
| FY2011 | $2,459,381 |
| FY2010 | $48,218,426 |
| FY2009 | $27,247,452 |
| FY2008 | $5,387,625 |
| FY2007 | $22,570,491 |
Show all 13
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 10.916?
Assistance Listing 10.916 is Watershed Rehabilitation Program, a federal grant program run by National Resources Conservation Service (Department of Agriculture).
What is the CFDA number for Watershed Rehabilitation Program?
Its CFDA number is 10.916: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 10.916 awarded?
308 grant awards under 10.916 have obligated $277,979,951 in federal funds to 109 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 10.916?
The recipients obligated the most under Watershed Rehabilitation Program are State Of Oklahoma ($55,336,077), Soil & Water Conservation Commission GEO ($50,286,385) and West Virgina Conservation Agency ($28,917,295).
How much did 10.916 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 10.916 obligated $19,334,961 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 10.916?
No opportunity listed under 10.916 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
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
- Alerts for new opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this program