On June 14, from 12:00 to 1:30 pm (eastern time), the Source Water Collaborative’s (SWC) Conservation Programs and Forested Lands Subgroup is hosting this webinar to share information about two current opportunities to advance source water protection through the programs of our SWC member, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). These two separate NRCS programs each provide opportunities to direct conservation program financial and technical assistance to producers in watersheds important to protecting drinking water sources. NWQI has an added benefit in its ability to provide funding for both planning and implementation.
- Nominating Watersheds for the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI): The NRCS anticipates releasing the FY2024 NWQI Bulletin to nominate watersheds in advance of the webinar date. Through NWQI, NRCS prioritizes funding for producers to implement practices in the selected watersheds to protect water quality and quantity, including surface and ground water drinking water sources. For more information, visit the NRCS NWQI website.
- Refining and Updating Priority Source Water Protection Areas: On May 5, 2023, NRCS issued its new Bulletin on “Refining Source Water Protection Local Priorities for FY 2024.” For more information, please see the May 15 SWC Highlight and NRCS’s Source Water Protection website.
Webinar Agenda: The webinar agenda will include presentations and an opportunity to ask questions as well as share successes and challenges.
- Moderator
- Sylvia Malm, Ground Water Protection Council
- Speakers:
- John Bullough, NWQI and MRBI Coordinator, NRCS
- Claire Tachella, EQIP Program Manager, NRCS-Oregon
- Maureen Pepper, State Water Quality Specialist, NRCS-Idaho