USDA invests $420M in infrastructure projects

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was joined by White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Georgia Congressman Sanford Bishop to announce that USDA, Washington, D.C., will invest $420 million in 132 infrastructure projects in 31 states, including rehabilitating dams, flood prevention and watershed restoration projects. These investments are funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and build on a $166 million investment announced earlier this year.

Vilsack and Landrieu made the announcement in Albany, Georgia, as part of the Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour. There, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is helping improve the flow of Radium Springs. Radium Springs does not flow consistently and is highly dependent on underground water.

Funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to implement strategies that blend efficient irrigation methods with better resource management to ensure consistent flow to support agriculture, provide wildlife habitat, improve water quantity and quality and improve the recreational value within the existing public park. Over $69 million will go toward eight projects that will provide relief for flood-related watershed concerns.

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our infrastructure, create good-paying jobs and build new economic opportunity,” says Vilsack. “Our watershed programs help communities rebuild after natural disasters and prepare for future events. This includes communities that we’ve historically underserved. The president believes we will grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out, and this will occur in partnership with rural communities. That’s what Building a Better America is all about.”

The USDA’s infrastructure announcement includes funding through two programs: the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations Program provides technical and financial assistance for new watershed infrastructure, and the Watershed Rehabilitation Program upgrades existing NRCS dams.

In total, NRCS received $918 million of BIL funding to allocate through its watershed programs. In addition to WFPO and REHAB, this includes funds for the Emergency Watershed Program to help communities recover from natural disasters. NRCS will continue to assist communities as it receives disaster requests.

NRCS encourages communities to engage with their local project sponsors, participate in developing a sound conservation plan that serves to protect and preserve local watersheds and connect with their local NRCS office to learn more about Watershed Program assistance.

NRCS will continue to review additional requests and compile a third round of BIL watershed funding as funds are available.