The Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program (StRAP) provides grants to projects that help reduce flooding by protecting and restoring the drainage infrastructure of North Carolina's waterways. The program was created by the NC General Assembly, which approved $38 million in funding for StRAP in the budget appropriations bill for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. The program is administered by the state’s Soil & Water Conservation Commission, working closely with the Division of Soil and Water Conservation within the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The authorizing legislation for StRAP is available here.

In 2022, a total of $36.1 million was awarded to 111 organizations. A full list of grantees is available here.

Examples of completed StRAP-funded projects.

StRAP funds projects that restore and protect drainage infrastructure of both natural streams and small watershed structural projects to prevent future flooding, restore streams, and reduce risks to life and property. StRAP funds may be used to provide nonfederal match for related disaster recovery activities funded by the federal government. 

Projects eligible for StRAP funding include:

• Vegetative debris removal
• Instream sediment removal
• Streambank stabilization
• Stream restoration
• Repair and rehabilitation of P.L. 566 Small Watershed Structures
  • Structural rehabilitation or replacement for critical components (ex: principal spillway, emergency spillway)
  • Repair of critical eroding or settling areas
  • Removal of accumulated sediment from the impoundment
     

The 2022 allocation of funds prioritized projects completing Vegetative Debris Removal and P.L. 566 Small Watershed Structure Repair.

Eligible organizations across North Carolina include:

• Soil and Water Conservation Districts
• City and County Governments
• Drainage Districts
• Water or Sewer authorities, municipal or county service districts, and sanitary districts
• Nonprofit organizations

Private citizens are not eligible to receive StRAP funds.

June 28, 2024: I am pleased to announce that the Soil & Water Conservation Commission has approved the allocation of funds for the 2024 round of Streamflow Rehabilitation Assistance Program funding. At their meeting on June 27th, the Commission approved a total allocation of $19,363,756 to 98 applicants.  

For applicants that received funding:

• Our total requests for funds exceeded $222 million, and we are unfortunately not able to fund many projects in full. Many applicants are only receiving a portion of the funding requested. We appreciate all the important planned work in your application.  Projects not selected for funding will be kept in consideration should future StRAP funding become available.
• Next week, we will send out detailed award letters to each applicant selected for funding.  These emails will provide more details on the stream segments selected for funding, and details on the steps moving forward with a StRAP contract.  For applicants selected for funding: please note that while your projects have been selected for funding, an updated scope of work and pre-award meeting is required before the Division of Soil and Water Conservation can send you a StRAP contract.  Please wait to begin work until after the contract has been signed and put into effect.

For organizations that did not receive funding:

• Our total requests for funds exceeded $222 million, and we are unfortunately not able to fund each applicant. We completed a detailed review and ranking of all applications to ensure that each applicant was given a thorough and equal review before the final awards were determined. We understand the need for the work outlined in your application, and please know that we would have funded many more projects had the funding been available.
• We appreciate the time and detail you put into completing your application and highlighting the need for stream work in your community. We will keep your application on file and in consideration should future StRAP funding become available.

Matt Safford, StRAP Manager
NCDA&CS Division of Soil and Water Conservation
Office: 919-707-3784            Cell: 984-960-9168
matt.safford@ncagr.gov

Heather Reichert, Administrative Specialist
919-707-3768
heather.reichert@ncagr.gov

Patty Gabriel, Inspection Coordinator
919-751-0976 x 5609 
patricia.gabriel@usda.gov