The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service recently announced that four Natural Resources Districts in Nebraska received more than $2.5 million in Watershed Flood Prevention and Operations funding.

The funding will be directed toward developing watershed plans in the following NRDs:

Lower Platte South NRD. Funding will be used to complete the Little Salt Creek Watershed Plan in northern Lancaster County. This plan will help improve habitat for the endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle by protecting saline wetland habitat, providing wetland rehabilitation, and providing erosion and sediment control.

Lower Elkhorn NRD. Funding will be used to complete the Battle Creek Watershed Plan. This plan aims to reduce the overall flood risk in the area, as well as provide flood resiliency for surrounding agricultural land.

Central Platte NRD. Funding will be used to complete the Spring and Buffalo Creeks Watershed Plan. This effort is focused on reducing flood damage to irrigation canal infrastructure and agricultural land. Goals include identifying solutions to reoccurring flooding problems and soil erosion, and evaluating projects that can benefit endangered and threatened species within and downstream of the watershed.

The Central Platte NRD also received funding to complete the Lower Wood River Watershed Plan. The goal is to establish a recommended plan to address ongoing flooding events. This includes implementing structural and nonstructural projects to create resiliency against future flooding, reduce flood-related damages and protect the local economy.

Lower Loup NRD. Funding will be used to complete the Mud Creek Watershed Plan. This plan will focus on reducing flood-related damages to communities and agricultural land, improve flood resiliency, improve recreation opportunities and enhance groundwater recharge.

"We look forward to working with these Natural Resources Districts on these new watershed projects," Nebraska state conservationist Craig Derickson says. "We saw how established watershed projects sprang into action this past spring following the bomb cyclone, reducing flood damages and protecting natural resources. These new projects plan to provide more benefits to more areas across Nebraska."

Source: Nebraska NRCS, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.