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United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service
9173 W. Barnes Dr., Suite C
Boise, Idaho 83709
 
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Technical Info: Ken Beckman, 208-378-5703
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4 Idaho Water Conservation Projects Receive Funding From USDA

BOISE, ID July 31, 2009 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Dave White yesterday announced which water conservation and water quality projects on agricultural working lands will receive national funding. Nearly $58 million was made available for 63 projects in 21 states through the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program. Idaho will receive $6.9 million to fund four projects.

“Last March, organizations wanting to address water quantity and quality issues in Idaho submitted project proposals to the NRCS national office for consideration,” said Jeff Burwell, the State Conservationist for Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “Proposals from Idaho competed with hundreds of proposals from across the nation. We are fortunate to have four funded.”

These Idaho projects will be funded through the new Agricultural Water Enhancement Program that was established by the 2008 Farm Bill:

• The Thorn Creek watershed project in Gooding County will conserve water and improve irrigation efficiency by converting surface irrigation to sprinkler systems. 

• The Pilger Project in Lincoln County will increase irrigation efficiency and conserve water by converting surface irrigation to sprinkler systems.

• The Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer project will conserve groundwater in the Snake River Plain through converting groundwater to surface water irrigation and installing improved irrigation systems.

• The Portneuf  Marsh Valley Canal Company project in Bannock County will conserve water lost to seepage by lining the canal with concrete and rerouting the canal to deliver water more efficiently.

Ellis Gilbert, President of the Portneuf Marsh Valley Canal Company sees this as a chance to improve the canal: “Our canal was built in 1907 with horses and fresnoes; it has served our community well. Now we can use big equipment to straighten the canal and make it more efficient.”

 “We are extremely excited about being able to upgrade our canal,” says Portneuf Marsh Valley Canal Company board member Ron Jolley. “With this project we will be better able to conserve water and store more water in our reservoir which will enhance the fishing and recreation possibilities for our communities.”

The Agricultural Water Enhancement Program (AWEP) is a voluntary conservation initiative that promotes ground and surface water conservation and improves water quality. The program provides financial and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to implement water improvements on their agricultural land.

AWEP was established by the 2008 Farm Bill and funding comes from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). NRCS implements AWEP by entering into EQIP contracts directly with agricultural producers.

All AWEP recipients must meet EQIP requirements. Though participating AWEP producers do not need to have existing EQIP contracts, they must be eligible for EQIP. All partner proposals were selected competitively. Proposals for priority areas may have received higher rankings, and include property undergoing conversion of agricultural land from irrigated to dry land farming; projects that help producers meet regulatory requirements; and projects located where there is a high percentage of agricultural land and producers in a region or area.

Information on the Agricultural Water Enhancement Program is available online at www.nrcs.usda.gov. 

To find the NRCS office in your area, visit the Idaho NRCS website at http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/ and click the link “Find a Service Center” at the end of the list on the left side. Or, look under the federal government listings in the telephone book.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

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