The Source Water Collaborative (SWC) has posted the recording of the June 10th webinar on how to engage with NRCS and other partners to identify watersheds for the FY 2022 National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI). The webinar featured presenters from Connecticut and Oregon who shared how the state source water protection program worked with NRCS and other partners to implement drinking water protection projects in NWQI watersheds. NWQI is designed to address agricultural sources of water pollution, including nutrients, sediments, and pathogens. Watersheds can be proposed for two phases/purposes: technical assistance to develop an areawide conservation plan or funding for eligible landowners (farmers, ranchers) for plan implementation. Watersheds can be proposed for impaired or threatened surface waters (minimum of three HUC-12 watersheds per state), or specifically for source water protection for ground or surface waters. State NRCS offices are required to provide proposed NWQI watersheds by July 9, 2021.
Access the webinar recording on the SWC Learning Exchange web page and select “SWP Through Conservation Funding” from the dropdown menu – the recording is at the bottom of the featured resources. To learn more about NWQI, read the NWQI FY 2022 Bulletin, visit the NRCS website and view the new EPA Guide – Planning and Implementing Agricultural Water Quality Projects Through the NWQI: A Practitioners Guide.