Purpose: To provide engineering assistance to private landowners, via soil and water conservation districts, for a variety of non-point water quality management practices.

Program history:
This program was established in 1994 in conjunction with the Agricultural Best Management Practices and Clean Water Partnership Loan Programs, and established an engineering assistance program for SWCD’s to provide engineering assistance to landowners for conservation practices. Eleven joint powers groups of soil and water conservation districts were created statewide in early 1995 to employ professional engineer and technician teams to provide technical assistance in cooperation with member soil and water conservation districts. The associated joint powers boards are composed of a supervisor from each of the member soil and water conservation districts. In 2009, due to funding concerns, the eleven joint powers boards and corresponding boundaries were reduced to eight. One of the member soil and water conservation districts serves as the host district and manager for the engineer and technician team employed by the joint powers boards. The Becker SWCD and East Polk SWCD serve in this capacity for the RRVCSA.

Non-point Engineering Assistance teams provide technical assistance through member soil and water conservation districts and in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and other local, state, and federal agencies. The Board of Water and Soil Resources provides policy, training, administrative, and technical consultation to the joint powers boards and their staff.

Other program information:
Base grants for the engineer and technician teams are allocated and reconciled annually. Challenge grants to employ an additional engineer or technician in high workload areas are provided subject to availability of funding. NPEA program teams utilize current electronic surveying, design and drafting technology to provide efficient and effective technical assistance.