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Grant County to seek $7.2 million NRCS watershed funding; state match sought to avoid county contribution
Summary
County staff asked commissioners to approve submitting an NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection application for five trout-fire-damaged sites totaling about $7.2 million, with an expected federal share of roughly $5.4 million and a county sponsor match of about $1.7 million contingent on securing state match funds.
County managers asked commissioners to approve submitting an application to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) funds to repair sites damaged by post-Trout Fire flooding.
"The EWP program is a 75/25 split. The total project cost is a little over $7,200,000," the manager told the commission, explaining that the federal portion would cover about $5.4 million and the county’s sponsor share would be nearly $1.8 million. The projects listed for the application include Bear Canyon Reservoir, Alley Canyon, Soldier Canyon, Sapio Creek and an adjacent privately owned reach of Sapio Creek.
County staff asked the commission to approve submission of both the NRCS application and a New Mexico match-fund application that—if awarded—would cover the county’s 25% match so the commission would not need to appropriate $1.7 million from county coffers. The manager said the county will not proceed with EWP construction unless the 25% match is awarded, or the commission explicitly decides to provide county funds.
Commissioners asked technical questions about project design and environmental work. Staff clarified the current application is high-level; NRCS engineers will design the projects and that technical-assistance funding through EWP is available at 100% and does not require a local match. Staff also confirmed several environmental surveys will be required because threatened and endangered species are present in the affected watersheds.
If the commission approves submitting the applications, the next steps are to wait for NRCS and state match-fund award decisions; engineers will only design work after funding is secured.
The manager presented the EWP items for consideration; commissioners did not record a final vote on funding or a conditional motion during the work session. The commission is scheduled to consider formal approvals during the upcoming regular meeting agenda.
