Texas Watershed Program

In the mid-1930s, Congress began looking at ways to complement the downstream flood control program of the Corps of Engineers. It passed flood control acts in 1936, 1944, and 1954 and assigned responsibility of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program to the USDA Soil Conservation Service, now the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Since that time, NRCS has assisted watershed sponsors in construction of nearly 2,000 floodwater retarding structures in 145 watershed projects across Texas. In addition, NRCS has assisted watershed sponsors in installation of land treatment practices, channel improvements, and dikes for watershed protection.