NATIONAL WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE

NACD Conference 2019

NRCS Area Wide Planning Branch

Provides an opportunity for partners to work with NRCS on a shared vision for water quality priorities

National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)

• Priority watersheds are selected in collaboration with state water quality agencies, facilitated by EPA

• NWQI addresses surface waters impaired under

the Clean Water Act, and protects/restores

drinking water sources

• Long-term goal of NWQI is to achieve water quality improvements through accelerated conservation practice implementation

National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI)

National Water Quality Initiative 2012 – 2018 Investment (EQIP)

NRCS

REGION # of Contracts

Acres

Treated Obligation $$

Central 1499 284,200 $49,232,062

Northeast 477 61,567 $24,728,802

Southeast 1,377 190,625 $47,459,843

West 524 291,488 $44,678,165

Total 3,877 827,880 $166,098,872

Source: USDA-FPAC-READ, October 2018

NWQI continues to be adapted to meet the needs of NRCS, customers and partners. Results of program evaluation are used to make improvements:

• In FY 2017, a pilot project was initiated to develop watershed assessments and outreach plans prior to implementation funding (“readiness phase”)

o 21 projects in 17 states provided technical assistance dollars to aid assessments

o Assessments identify and target critical source acres for treatment

o Outreach strategies developed to engage producers

• The readiness phase was mainstreamed in FY 2018 and watershed assessments are required for all newly-approved NWQI watersheds.

Adaptive Approach – Planning for Success

Example of critical

source acre

identification in a

watershed

NWQI Expansion• Original focus on addressing surface water bodies impaired

under the Clean Water Act

• In FY2015 special consideration for watershed selection was provided if the impaired water body was a source of drinking water

• In FY 2019, NWQI initiated a pilot to address source water protection, including surface and ground water sources

o SWP pilot areas do not have to coincide with impaired, threatened, or critical waterbodies as determined by the state.

o Any SWP areas proposed must be delineated by the state SWP program/utility and have a SWPP available

o 16 SWP pilot projects in 9 states for FY19

Adaptive Approach – Expand to Protect Drinking Water

The watershed must be associated with a water body that:

o Is impaired

o Has a TMDL

o Is threatened (water quality data documenting an impairment, but is not documented in the Integrated Report)

o Is critical (upstream of an impaired segment that is determined to be a significant contributing source to a downstream impairment)

The focus of NWQI is on sediment, nutrients or pathogens

For Source Water Protection, there are no specific selection criteria other than there is agreement among partners that the SWP area is a priority for the state

Watershed Selection Criteria

• Sufficient technical capacity and producer interest to warrant a long-term investment?

• Does a network of partnering agencies already exist?

• Sufficient density of producers to provide the expected water quality improvement within the watershed?

• Can partners conduct monitoring to track the change in water quality attributed to NWQI practices?

Watershed Selection Considerations

Readiness Phase Watersheds(need watershed assessment)

• New priority watersheds that need watershed assessments can request the readiness phase

• Readiness watersheds will be provided technical resources to assist with development of assessments and outreach strategies

• For source water protection, SWP areas can be proposed for a readiness phase to expand on existing SWPPs to provide comprehensive assessment for conservation practice implementation needs

NWQI Watershed Selection - Options

NWQI Watershed Selection - OptionsImplementation Phase Watersheds(watershed assessment complete, ready for financial assistance)

• The watershed/SWPA assessment must provide all elements outlined in the NRCS assessment guidance

• Multi-year budget and proposal will be required for all watersheds/SWPAs beginning in FY2020 – based on information from the assessment, including:

o Watershed/SWPP characteristics

o Primary resource concerns (NRCS specific)

o Description of targeting methods and identification of critical source areas

o Conservation systems that will be used and list of practices

o Metrics to demonstrate progress in meeting watershed/SWPA goals

o Proposed budget by year

o Producer interest and partner involvement/assistance

Measuring ProgressAll NWQI watersheds/SWPAs will assess progress toward meeting plan goals:

• When possible, select watersheds/SWPAs where baseline water quality monitoring data already exist.

• Track implementation on the identified critical source areas within the watershed/SWPA.

• Report on the interim metrics that were developed with partner input to demonstrate progress in meeting watershed/SWPA goals.

• Interim metrics must be directly related to the water quality concern (e.g., load reduction percentage, pounds of P prevented from leaving field, change in biotic integrity score, change in P index results weighted across the watershed, etc.).

Tracking Progress

Timeframe for FY2020

• Begin now to discuss with NRCS any changes or additions to priority watersheds for FY2020

• For watersheds planning to submit for FY2020, work should be underway for completing watershed assessments

• Source water protection – utilities and other partners should contact the NRCS State Conservationist ASAP to discuss potential projects

• NRCS watershed/SWPA selection bulletin anticipated in June 2019

• Approvals for FY2020 will occur prior to October 2019