The Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, a federal emergency recovery program, helps local communities recover after a natural disaster strikes. The program offers technical and financial assistance to help local communities relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural disasters that impair a watershed.

The EWP Program Helps Ruidoso Landowners Impacted by the McBride Fire and Wind Event

The EWP Program allows communities to quickly protect infrastructure and land from additional flooding and soil erosion. EWP does not require a disaster declaration by federal or state government officials for program assistance to begin. The NRCS State Conservationist can declare a local watershed emergency and initiate EWP program assistance in cooperation with an eligible sponsor (see the "Eligibility" section below).

EWP Program Projects

Financial and technical assistance for various activities is available under EWP Program, including:

Remove debris from stream channels, road culverts, and bridges;
Reshape and protect eroded streambanks;
Correct damaged or destroyed drainage facilities;
Establish a vegetative cover on critically eroding lands;
Repair levees and structures;
Repair certain conservation practices, and
Purchase floodplain easements

Eligibility

Recovery projects begin with the following application form to be completed by the landowner and submitted at Village Hall located at 313 Cree Meadows Drive, Ruidoso, NM 88345.

Ruidoso Landowner EWP Assistance Application Form McBride Fire 2022.

Questions? Please contact the Village of Ruidoso at (575) 258-4343