Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act
This bill, titled the Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act, would amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to reshape the Emergency Watershed Program (EWP) and related watershed restoration activities. Key changes include allowing restoration efforts that go beyond immediate protection if they are in the long-term interest and cost-effective; establishing a national flood vulnerability study focused on agricultural lands within two years; and increasing the federal cost share for rehabilitation projects from 65% to 90%. The bill also requires project plans under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act to include certain elements (beyond the rehabilitation projects specifically carved out), though the exact elements are not specified in the text provided. Overall, the bill pushes for broader, longer-term watershed restoration, enhanced flood risk analysis for agriculture, and greater federal funding support for rehabilitation efforts.
Key Points
- 1Allows higher-level restoration: The Secretary may undertake watershed restoration that exceeds what is needed merely to address immediate impairment if it is in the long-term interest and cost-effective, improving protection against repetitive flood damage and environmental risks.
- 2National Agriculture Flood Vulnerability Study: Within two years of enactment, the Secretary of Agriculture must deliver a national flood vulnerability report analyzing flood risk on agricultural land. The report covers economic losses under various flood recurrence scenarios, downstream effects of watershed management, available flood risk data, and current producer practices plus government initiatives, with recommendations for additional actions.
- 3Increased rehabilitation cost-share: For rehabilitation projects under the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act, the federal cost share would rise from 65% to 90%.
- 4Project planning requirements: Most projects under section 2 (except rehabilitation projects under section 14) must contain certain required elements. The text specifies that these elements exist but does not list them in the excerpt provided.
- 5Title and scope: The bill is named the Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act and targets the Emergency Watershed Program and related flood management and restoration activities.