Peterson announces NRCS grant for Spring Brook Watershed Project

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Collin Peterson today announced that the Spring Brook Watershed project plan has been approved by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White. The project will receive $1million in federal funding to undertake flood protection activities in Spring Brook Township, located in Kittson County, Minn. Of that amount, $850,000 is available for financial assistance and $150,000 for technical assistance.

"I am pleased that USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service is able to provide funding to begin the Spring Brook project work," Peterson said. "The Small Watershed Program is a great example of leveraging federal resources with local funding to provide real solutions to deal with flooding. I look forward to continuing to work with NRCS Chief Dave White, NRCS State Conservationist Don Baloun, landowners and local watershed leaders and elected officials to come up with common-sense, workable solutions to control flood damage throughout the Red River Valley."

The federal funding will be cost-shared with local funds to build setback dikes, stabilize channel and stream bank erosion sites along the project, and install surface water inlets to help control floodwater damage to crops, farmland and farmsteads, roads, bridges and fences.

The local project sponsors are the Two Rivers Watershed District, the City of Karlstad, the Kittson County Soil and Water Conservation District and Spring Brook Township.

The federal funding is being provided under Public Law 83-566 (PL-566), the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act or "Small Watershed Program". More information on the Small Watershed Program is available at: http://www.mn.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/water_resources/Watershed_protection_operations.htm

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