H.R. 1858

Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act This bill expands Department of Agriculture (USDA) watershed programs. Under the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, the bill allows USDA to undertake certain measures that go beyond addressing the immediate impairment of the watershed. Specifically, USDA may undertake measures that increase the level of protection of the watershed if USDA determines that the restoration is (1) in the best interest of the long-term health and the protection of the watershed from repetitive impairments; and (2) cost-effective and appropriate, given risks to the environment. As background, the EWP Program assists sponsors, landowners, and operators in implementing emergency recovery measures for runoff retardation and erosion prevention to relieve imminent hazards to life and property created by natural disasters. In addition, for Watershed Rehabilitation Program projects, the bill increases the federal cost-share to 90%, from 65%, of the total rehabilitation costs. The Watershed Rehabilitation Program assists project sponsors in rehabilitating aging watershed dams that are reaching the end of their design life or no longer meet federal or state safety criteria or performance standards. The bill also exempts rehabilitation projects under the Watershed Rehabilitation Program from a requirement that specifies that each project must contain benefits directly related to agriculture, including rural communities, that account for at least 20% of the total benefits of the project. USDA must also submit a national agriculture flood vulnerability report to Congress that contains the results of a conservation effects assessment project that studies flood risk on agricultural lands.