$1.1 Million for Drought Measures in Missouri Headwaters Basin

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has allocated $1.1 million for conservation practices that mitigate the impacts of drought in the Missouri Headwaters Basin.

“NRCS’s investment in drought preparedness in the upper Missouri gives a fantastic boost to the NDRP demonstration project,” said John Tubbs, director of Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. “This is exactly the opportunity the State was aiming for when Governor Bullock agreed to partner with nine federal agencies to better prepare for drought. NRCS’s investment and strong working relationship with agricultural landowners and the excellent work of locally led watershed groups will allow us to bring real results to the plans being put in place to prepare our communities for the droughts of the future.”

NRCS is targeting financial assistance through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program to the area designated as part of the National Drought Resiliency partnership in 2014, which provides a mechanism for state, federal and local entities to work together to improve drought preparedness. Specifically, those practices could include improvements to irrigation infrastructure and efficiency, improvements in water storage capacity and off-stream stockwater tanks, and soil health practices to increase soil moisture holding capacity.