California Receives $6.9 Million in EWP Funds for Flood Recovery Efforts in Southern California

Contact: Rudy Perez (951) 684-3722 Ext. 110

DAVIS, CA, March 8, 2005-- Ed Burton, Acting State Conservationist for the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service in California, today announced $6.9 million in Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWP) funding has been provided to California to help Southern California recover from recent severe storms and flooding. 

"These emergency funds will provide technical and financial assistance to help restore damaged watersheds and protect life and property left at risk from the severe effects of these storms," said Burton. 

Severe storms and an unusually wet season for California caused flooding, severe erosion and unstable hillsides to collapse in landslides and significant mudflows. As a result, homes and other infrastructure are in need of protection measures to remove the threat of additional damages left in the wake of these storms.  Areas previously burned by wildfires have been especially vulnerable. The funds announced today will be dedicated to two projects in Ventura County that need immediate attention: Santa Paula Creek and the Santa Paula Airport where there is significant damage to the stream channels which threatens homes and a private airport. This is in addition to $1.2 million for emergency environmental restoration work in California that USDA provided last month.

Through EWP, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service works with local project sponsors to help people reduce imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, drought, earthquakes, tornados and other natural disasters.

Rehabilitation efforts will provide sound erosion control measures that are economically and environmentally defensible. EWP measures include removing sediment and debris to restore stream capacity, reshaping and protecting eroding banks, repairing levees and reseeding damaged areas.

Information on NRCS natural disaster assistance in California can be found on the Web at http://www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov and on EWP at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/EWP.

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