September 21, 2021

New Funding Opportunity for Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency Projects

The Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are making federal funding available to improve efficiency of agricultural water use in California.

Up to $1.5 million will be awarded by Reclamation in fiscal year 2022 via grants or cooperative agreements to entities with water or power delivery authority, including water districts and irrigation districts, with the goal of improving water use efficiency in delivery to the agricultural sector.

The NRCS will then announce a separate program to provide funding to farms within those districts for water conservation practices to complement these projects.

Eligible projects in the past have included canal lining or piping, turnout metering and weir structures.

Applications are due November 1 and more details can be found at www.grants.gov by searching for keywords “agricultural water use efficiency and conservation projects.”