By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
It was important to get an application to the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service immediately.
For that reason. the application for funds for emergency watershed protection was submitted a week ago and Juab County Commissioners then ratified that action at commission meeting on Monday.
"The most promising funding would be this federal program," said Byron Woodland, commissioner.
Woodland has been working to get some help for those ranchers of Levan who were hard hit by recent floods stemming from the burn scar of a wildland fire that started on July 24 and burned 4,343 acres before being contained on August 8.
Rain, July 29, just a few days after the fire started, was responsible for a mudslide that caused damage to yards and farmland, and a river of water and debris that ran across 12 miles of highway closing it to through traffic. That flood also damaged ranchland and farmland and threatened homes in its wake.
"Something has to be done immediately," said Woodland. "A case in point, would be that another flood would threaten at least 12 to 13 homes and ranch property and could further damage water sources."
It could also close a public highway and create a public safety problem.
"In order to get funding, a government agency has to act as the sponsor," he said. "The county, in addition, has to provide a 25 percent match."
The matching funds could come as work done. For example, the commission has already directed the county road department to put a culvert under the road that would take water from the borrow pit on the east side of the roadway into an old creek bed that is located on Kenison ranch property.
That project, since it is being done currently, will not count toward the 25 percent match, he said.
"It was an idea proposed by the Kenisons," said Woodland.
The EWP Program purpose is to assist project sponsors in implementing emergency recovery measures to relieve imminent hazards to life or property created by a natural disaster that caused a sudden impairment of a watershed.
Woodland said that there were six key points that needed to be met in order for the county to participate. The first was the need for a government agency to act as project sponsor.
There had to be an emergency and the recovery measure had to be installed now.
There must be an imminent hazard to life or property. In the next event, life or property (e.g., road, bridge or house) will be impacted.
It has to be a natural disaster which can be a single event such as a flood or tornado and there can be a disaster declaration by the U.S. President, governor or state conservationist (STC).
There must be a sudden watershed impairment and the disaster must have caused the impairment.
The sixth key point is that it must meet statutes and regulations.
"According to the regulations, the sponsor does not have sufficient funds to address the emergency without help and will agree to provide 25 percent of the cost share in either cash or in-kind," said Woodland. "The county commission may serve as a project sponsor."
EWP Program funds are available through supplemental appropriation from Congress and there is not an annual appropriation.
There are two categories of projects.
There is the traditional project in which impairment poses a threat to life or property, fund is not likely to be immediately available, and it will take 220 days to install recovery measures from the time the funding becomes available.
The second is the exigent projects. These are situations that demand immediate action to save life or property. The funding for these comes after a request is made to National Headquarters and it takes 10 days to install recovery measures.
There are other agencies which can provide disaster assistance.
One is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) but they typically assist with damaged infrastructure only. Another is the Farm Service Agency (FSA) through the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP).
Another is the U.S. Corp of Engineers (USACE), which will not likely be of assistance in this particular disaster. Last is the Utah Comprehensive Emergency Management which work on governor declared disasters and with FEMA.
Each county has an Emergency Management Coordinator and, in Juab, it is Fred Smalley who is part of the Juab County Sheriff's Office.
Some other help should come to those who are suffering from the results of the flooding caused by the burn scar. DWR (Division of Wildlife Resources), will install settling ponds on their land because a lot of the flood came from DWR land.
That construction can count toward the match, said Woodland.
"Hopefully, we will have a good snowfall this year," he said. "However, that would cause a significant runoff in the spring."
The Forest Service has also agreed to do some rehabilitation, he said. It is hoped that they will be able to do some reseeding soon so that the seeds can sprout and begin growing. If they put down roots, they can help stabilize the soil.
Areas that lost most of their ground cover will be targeted and the native seeds used will help prevent erosion during the spring melt.
"We are partnering with the landowners and have met with them and with several agencies over the past few weeks," said Woodland.
"We appreciate the work Commissioner Woodland had done," said Chad Winn, commission chairman. "He has taken the lead in working toward helping the citizens of Levan."
