NRCS PL-566 Program

U.S. Congress passed Public Law 83-566 (P.L. 566), the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act and authorized the United States Department of Agriculture to provide local groups with financial and technical assistance for flood prevention. In response, Kansas enacted the Watershed District Act that formed watershed districts tasked with providing flood protection as well as better conserving, developing, using, and disposing of water. These member watershed districts have built more than 1,400 P.L. 566 small floodwater-retarding dams in Kansas.

Along with several states, Kansas watershed districts are working on proposals for projects to compete for $150 million dollars of operation funding to the PL-566 program administered by NRCS. These funds would fund already planned dams and any new planning initiative projects. SAKW has provided technical assistance to several of the districts working on the proposals.