Columbia County applied for NRCS emergency watershed grant to clear hurricane debris from streams

Columbia County applied in October for the Emergency Watershed Protection Program (EWPP), a federal grant administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to remove debris left by Hurricane Helene that is blocking streams and threatening nearby infrastructure, county stormwater staff said.

The grant is intended for recovery and resilience, not aesthetic improvements, county staff said. “This is a recovery grant, a resiliency grant. It is not a beautification project,” a stormwater compliance team representative said, adding that NRCS reviewed each potential cleanup location against program criteria and approved some sites for work.

Under the EWPP process the county will notify affected private property owners about approved work by sending a letter one to two weeks before contractors begin. Contractors and county staff will seek signed right‑of‑entry forms; if no one is home, crews will leave a door hanger with a contact phone number, the staff member said. “We are on a tight time frame. So if you do get a hanger, please give them a callback,” the staff member added.

County staff said the program can remove debris that endangers critical infrastructure — including water, sewer and storm lines — or that creates blockages that could move downstream and damage sewer crossings, roadways or homes. Work will proceed only where NRCS criteria are met and private property owners grant access, staff said.

Officials cautioned that the grant is limited. NRCS funding is allocated according to the agency’s criteria and is split across multiple municipalities, so the county cannot promise cleanup of every stream. County staff said the goal is to reduce flooding or damage associated specifically with hurricane debris; the program will not remove historic flooding conditions on properties.

County staff said they have consulted other agencies about environmental protections and permitting, including the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to address stream buffers, wetlands and other regulatory requirements.

The county’s immediate next steps are to complete NRCS‑approved site lists, notify affected property owners, collect right‑of‑entry forms and coordinate contractor schedules. Staff said property owners who do not respond to hangers or notices may delay cleanup for approved sites.