What’s your water resource management challenge? NAFSMA offers unparalleled access to the focused expertise your agency needs to navigate today’s waves of change.

Who We Are

  • NAFSMA was founded in 1978 during a transformative period for federal flood policy. The Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District was among the founding members, along with other major flood control districts who recognized they needed a unified voice in Washington. They created NAFSMA to advocate for public policy, encourage technologies, and conduct education programs that facilitate member agencies’ public service functions

  • Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, NAFSMA played a critical role in the national response. Four NAFSMA members were appointed as voting members of the National Committee on Levee Safety, which developed the framework for a National Levee Safety Program. NAFSMA also became a founding member of the U.S. Levee Safety Coalition and has been instrumental in every Water Resources Development Act since 2000, securing provisions that benefit local agencies.

  • Today, NAFSMA continues to bridge local water resource agencies and federal decision-makers. Our advocacy has successfully influenced provisions in the National Flood Insurance Program, stormwater regulations, the USACE Levee Safety Program, and the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard. With a board composed of chief executives from major flood control districts nationwide, NAFSMA ensures that federal policies reflect the real-world needs of agencies working every day to protect their communities

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The NAFSMA Difference, other organizations talk about federal advocacy. NAFSMA delivers it.

Our small, focused team has cultivated relationships over four decades that larger associations cannot replicate. When critical issues arise, Congressional staff and federal agency leaders know to call NAFSMA—because we represent the agencies actually implementing flood risk management on the ground.

  • Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Congress has maintained WRDA's two-year reauthorization schedule since 2014—a bipartisan achievement NAFSMA has actively championed. We work directly with Senate and House committee staff on every WRDA bill, ensuring provisions reflect the real-world needs of non-federal sponsors. Recent wins include GAO studies on homelessness and infrastructure, 408s, and nature based solutions and expanded flexibility for real estate acquisition that reduces project delays.

  • Permitting NAFSMA believes environmental protection and efficient permitting are not mutually exclusive. NAFSMA is advocating for Congress to amend the Clean Water Act to allow NPDES permit terms of at least 10 years, we supported the passage of H.R. 7023 Extending NPDES permits from 5 to 10 years and will advocate for the senate to pass this timeline too.

  • Section 408 NAFSMA members repeatedly identified Section 408 permitting delays as a critical barrier to infrastructure investment. We elevated this issue through Congressional testimony, appropriations requests, and direct engagement with USACE leadership. Our advocacy secured GAO studies examining the 408 program, expanded categorical permissions and continues to push for streamlined processes that get projects built faster.

  • FEMA In 2025, NAFSMA provided formal support for the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act, advocating for provisions that directly benefit member agencies: transforming public assistance from reimbursement to a grant model, creating a consolidated hazard mitigation application process, and streamlining environmental permit requirements after disasters. NAFSMA is currently working with the Senate to get a companion bill passed.

What Members Say

“NAFSMA has been invaluable to my agency in anticipating, understanding and influencing national legislation, policies and programs affecting FEMA, EPA, and USACE."

— San Antonio River Authority

"The ability to connect with top federal leadership and the opportunity to influence federal policy is invaluable."

— Central Valley Flood Protection Board

"NAFSMA is a key resource for staying informed and taking full advantage of federal programs."

— Clark County Regional Flood Control Agency