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Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) in Alabama

Downed timber adds fuel load to forests - click for larger photo.
Downed timber adds fuel load to forest land.

EWP was set up by Congress to respond to emergencies created by natural disasters and assists in relieving hazards to life and property from floods and the products of erosion created by natural disasters that cause a sudden impairment of a watershed.

A sudden watershed impairment results from a single natural occurrence or a short-term combination of occurrences. For the watershed to be eligible for assistance, the impairment must significantly exceed that which existed before the disaster.

Prescribed burn is one management tool used to control - click for larger photo.
Prescribed burn is used to control fuel load.

Traditional EWP work includes measures to protect road banks and bridge abutments, debris removal from streams, and control of caving gullies that threatened infrastructures such as homes, gas and power lines, and road ways.

EWP assistance is authorized by sections of Public Laws 81-516, 94-344, and 104-127.  All of the work under EWP is implemented by local NRCS offices and coordinated from the NRCS State Office in Auburn, Alabama (334-887-4500).

EWP in Action - Before and After in Dale County

Gully threatening road and utilities.
Gully threatening road and utility.


Gully after repairs

Additional Information

These documents require Adobe Acrobat. 

EWP Construction and Material Specifications, E-Field Office Tech Guide -- (will open in a new window.) Construction specifications consist of two parts.  The standard portion is called the "Parent Specification."  The section that is normally modified to tailor the specification to a particular job is called the "Items of Work."  If the user elects to modify the Parent Specification, they should remove "NRCS" from the footer of the specification and insert an identifier for the sponsoring organization or other appropriate identifier.

Sponsor's Guide to EWP, USDA-NRCS (PDF) (will open in new window)

EWP (Emergency Watershed Protection Program in Alabama) - (8.5x11 tri-fold brochure, PDF, 80 KB)

National EWP Website

Success Stories

Some of these stories require Adobe Acrobat.

City of Ozark Uses EQIP Funds to Protect Road 
EWP Funds Help the City of Jackson Protect Infrastructure (PDF), Land and Water, July/August 07 (text only)  
EWP Program is Like a Shot in the Arm for Rural County (PDF) (Geneva County) Land and Water 1-2/05; Alabama County Commissioners Fall 04

Archived

Last Modified: 12/18/2009