1

USDA -Natural Resources Conservation Service

Mike Cox, P.E.

State Conservation Engineer

(317) 290-3200 ext. 353

mike.cox@in.usda.gov

Chris Ritz

Civil Engineer

ext. 363

chris.ritz@in.usda.gov

Just What Do We Do?

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

Help conserve our natural resources:

– Soil

– Water

– Plant

– Animals

– Air

Helping People Help the Land

• Assist Private Landowners & Producers

• Assist Local, State and Federal Agencies

• Assist other local groups of people

NRCS Engineering

• NRCS State Engineering Staff - Indianapolis– State Conservation Engineer (requires a PE)

– Agricultural Engineer

– Civil Engineer

NRCS Engineering

• 4 Area Engineers – Located at Vincennes,

North Vernon, Lafayette, and Fort Wayne

• 8 Technical Team Engineers – Mainly Ag & Civil

Engineers

• 1 Project Engineer

NRCS Engineering

Design• Hydrology (rainfall and runoff)

• Hydraulics (pipe flow, weir flow, channel flow)

• Soils/Soil Mechanics (permeability, bearing strength)

• Structural (timber, concrete, rock)

2

NRCS EngineeringGrassed Waterways – Design

Steps:

Drainage Area

Capacity (Use 10yr-24hr storm)

Grade (from survey)

Depth/Width/Velocity

Typical velocity range is 1.5 fps to 3.0 fps

Use Erosion Control Blanket above 3.0 fps

Excel Design Program on NRCS website

Grassed Waterway

NRCS EngineeringGrade Stabilization

Structures– Design Steps:

Drainage Area

Capacity – varies with drainage area and overfall

Overfall (from survey)

Type of structure must be determined based on capacity and overfall

NRCS EngineeringTypes of Grade Stabilization

Structures:

Drop Toewall (wood, reinforced concrete, aluminum)

Pipe Drop

Straight Pipe

Rock Chute

NRCS EngineeringWater & Sediment Control

Basins- Design Steps:

Drainage Area

Volume to be stored (runoff from 10yr-24hr storm)

Stage-Storage (from topographic survey)

Levee height

Subsurface drain, riser, and orifice (based on drawdown time of 24 hours)

3

NRCS EngineeringTerrace - Design Steps:

Spacing (slope, equipment)

Type of TerraceFarmed or Grassed

Drainage Area-between terraces

Channel Grade (velocity)

Levee height

Outlet (grassed waterway or tile outlet)

NRCS Engineering

Wetland Restoration/Ponds Design Steps:

Drainage Area

Soils (will it hold water?)

Stage-Storage (from topographic survey)

Levee height

Levee top width/sideslopes

Principal Spillway

Emergency Spillway

Wetland RestorationWetland Restoration

Goose Pond4,400 acres water

±1 0 10.5

Kilometers

Dikes (Levees)

Prairie Grasses

Tree Plantings

Macro Topography(eco-wiggles)

NRCS Engineering

Stream bank Stabilization Design Steps:

Drainage Area

Capacity of stream

Soils (stable slopes)

Grade (from survey)

Velocity in the channel

Size armoring materials based on velocities

4

NRCS EngineeringAnimal Waste Storage - Design

Steps:

Number, Size, Species of animals

Where is clean surface water diverted?

Earthen - Soils (meet permeability requirements)

Days of storageFreeboardLevee top width/side slopesConcrete-concrete, steel

NRCS EngineeringMortality Composting Facilities

Livetstock Pipelines

Fencing

Drainage Water Management

HenryParke

Sullivan

Perry

Scott

ClarkOrange

Pike

Vigo

Rush

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rtin

134 Existing Watershed DamsPurpose of Dams

Flood Control

Recreation

Water Supply

Breach Routings

┴ To Flow

Survey Cross Sections

Lynn Betts IA NRCS

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Manning’s“n” Values

NRCS Engineering

• Large Watershed Projects

– Flood Routing Analysis Dams and Channels

– Simulate Flooding Using Computer Models• WinTR-55, WinTR-20, HEC-RAS, DAMBRK,

HY-8, SITES, GIS

Jan 2003

HEC-RAS

Jan 2003

CR

200

S

CR

100

S

100-year FLOOD6” Rainfall

Check Froude #- Subcritical < 1- Supercritical

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Lafayette

Allen

Jay

Lake

Knox

Vigo

White

Jasper

Cass

Clay

Pike

Rush

LaPorte

Parke

Grant

Greene

Perry

Ripley

Clark

Noble

Gibson

Porter

Wells

Posey

Elkhart

Owen

HenryBoone

Miami

Jackson

Putnam

Dubois

Shelby

Pulaski Fulton

MarionWayne

Clinton

Sullivan

Harrison

BentonCarroll

Daviess

Ma

rtin

Orange

Kosciusko

Monroe

Morgan

Ma

diso

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Marshall

Ne w

ton

Warrick

Wabash

Warren

Brown

DeKalb

Franklin

Adams

Starke

Spencer

Decatur

Randolph

Lawrence

Whitley

FountainHamilton

Washington

St. Joseph

Tippecanoe Tipton

Jennings

Delaware

Hendricks

Montgomery

Jefferson

LaGrange Steuben

Howard

Johnson

Scott

Hun

tingt

on

Hancock

Crawford

DearbornBartholomew

Fayette

Un

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Floyd

Ver m

illio n

Switzerland

Ohio

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Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP)

June 2008 Flooding

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Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP)

• EWP Program – Protect lives & property threatened by natural disasters• Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes

• Protecting Infrastructure: Roads, Bridges, Homes, Utilities– Must benefit more than one property owner

• Majority Assistance: Debris removal from streams, Stabilize stream banks, Repair Conservation Practices

• Other Assistance:Dams and Levees

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Jay

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Jasper

Cass

Clay

Pike

Rush

LaPorte

Parke

Grant

Greene

Perry

Ripley

Clark

Noble

Gibson

Porter

Wells

Posey

Elkhart

Owen

Henry

Boone

Miami

Jackson

Putnam

Dubois

Shelby

Pulaski Fulton

Marion

Wayne

Clinton

Sullivan

Harrison

Benton Carroll

Daviess

Martin

Orange

Kosciusko

Monroe

Morgan

Madison

Marshall

Newton

Warrick

Wabash

Warren

Brown

DeKalb

Franklin

Adams

Starke

Spencer

Decatur

Randolph

Lawrence

Whitley

FountainHamilton

Washington

St. Joseph

Tippecanoe

Tipton

Jennings

Delaware

Hendricks

Montgomery

Jefferson

LaGrange Steuben

Howard

Johnson

Scott

Huntington

Hancock

Crawford

Dearborn

Fayette Union

Floyd

Switzerland

Ohio

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• Exigency

– 47 Requests for Assist.

==> $1.6 M

• Non-Exigency

– 60 Requests for Assist.

– Waiting List

==> $ 1.0 M

Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP)

Stranded Beans

Stream bank Stabilization

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USDA - NRCS

150150

Shufflebarger Levee

Elnora, IN150 ft150 ft

10 ft10 ft

Levee BreaksLevee BreaksRepair: $ 175,000

- Only fix 2x in 10 yearsRepair: $ 175,000

- Only fix 2x in 10 years

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Repair: $110,000Repair: $110,000Repair: $110,000Repair: $110,000

Utilities:Utilities:-- Gas, Electric, PhoneGas, Electric, Phone

A New Island

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Ohio

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2008 Aerial –

INDOT & USDA

1600 ac

- NRCS WRP & FEP

1600 ac

- NRCS WRP & FEP

9

Indy Star

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Jay

Lake

Kn ox

Vigo

Whi te

Jasper

Cass

Cla y

Pike

Rush

LaPo rte

Parke

Grant

Green e

Perry

Rip ley

C lark

Noble

Gibson

Porte r

We lls

Pose y

Elkhart

Ow en

Hen ry

Boon e

Mia mi

Jackso n

Putnam

Du bois

Shelby

Pu laskiFu lton

Marion

Wa yn e

Clinton

Sull ivan

Ha rrison

Be nton Carrol l

Daviess

Martin

Orange

Kosciusko

Mon roe

Morgan

Ma dison

Ma rsh all

Newton

Warrick

Wab ash

Warren

Brow n

DeKalb

Fran kl in

Adams

Sta rke

Spen ce r

Decatur

Ran dolph

Lawren ce

Whitley

Fo unta in Hamilton

Washington

St. Joseph

Tippe ca noe

Tipton

Jennings

D elawa re

Hen dricks

Mon tgo mery

Jefferson

LaGrange Steub en

How ard

Jo hnson

Scott

Hunting ton

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Crawford

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Flo yd

Swi tze rland

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Cass

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Rush

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Parke

Grant

Green e

Perry

Rip ley

C lark

Noble

Gibson

Porte r

We lls

Pose y

Elkhart

Ow en

Hen ry

Boon e

Mia mi

Jackso n

Putnam

Du bois

Shelby

Pu laskiFu lton

Marion

Wa yn e

Clinton

Sull ivan

Ha rrison

Be nton Carrol l

Daviess

Martin

Orange

Kosciusko

Mon roe

Morgan

Ma dison

Ma rsh all

Newton

Warrick

Wab ash

Warren

Brow n

DeKalb

Fran kl in

Adams

Sta rke

Spen ce r

Decatur

Ran dolph

Lawren ce

Whitley

Fo unta in Hamilton

Washington

St. Joseph

Tippe ca noe

Tipton

Jennings

D elawa re

Hen dricks

Mon tgo mery

Jefferson

LaGrange Steub en

How ard

Jo hnson

Scott

Hunting ton

Hancock

Crawford

Dearb orn

Fayette Unio n

Flo yd

Swi tze rland

Ohio

Blackf

ord

Ba rtho lomew

Verm

illio

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NRCS Engineering

Opportunities• Much of our work is outside• Work directly with landowners and operators• Design large and small projects• Work directly with contractors on construction• Develop standards and standard drawings• Engineers in every state and Washington D. C.• Travel to national conferences / seminars

Helpful Classes

• Soils (Engineering and Agronomy)

• Geotechnical/Soil Mechanics

• Surveying/GPS

• GIS/ArcView

• Soil & Water Engineering

• Reinforced Concrete Design

• Hydrology/Hydraulics

Student Career Experience Program (Summer 2009)

• Vacancy Announcement – Opened Nov 3rd, Closes Dec. 3rd

• Looking for 1-2 Agricultural Engineers• GS-2 ($10.39/hr) to GS-4 ($12.73/hr)

Salary• Will be located somewhere in Indiana• Go to http://usajobs.opm.govfor vacancy

details

Other Opportunities

• USDA Ag Research Service (ARS)• USDA Forest Service (FS)• US Army Corps of Engineers (ACE)• State – DNR Division of Water, IDEM,

INDOT• Private

– Consulting Engineers / Firms– Soil Testing Labs– Concrete Labs

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For More InformationWEB SITES

• www.in.nrcs.usda.gov• www.nrcs.usda.gov• www.usajobs.opm.govNRCS Standards (efotg, Section IV)• http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov/treemenuFS.aspxTerrace Standard• http://efotg.nrcs.usda.gov/references/public/

IN/terrace.pdf

USDA -Natural Resources Conservation Service

Mike Cox, P.E.

State Conservation Engineer

(317) 290-3200 ext. 353

mike.cox@in.usda.gov

Chris Ritz

Civil Engineer

ext. 363

chris.ritz@in.usda.gov

QUESTIONS