The Agriculture Department is launching a $400 million effort with 18 irrigation districts to pay Western farmers to cut back on water use, so long as they promise to keep farming.
The funding, announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Thursday, is expected to conserve up to 50,000 acre-feet of water across 250,000 acres of irrigated farmland, USDA said in a release.
Each district will receive up to $15 million to help farmers improve their irrigation systems, try new crops, or make the switch to less water-intensive management practices. To enroll, farmers and irrigation districts must "commit to" continuing to farm.
"We want to scale up the tools available to keep farmers farming, while also voluntarily conserving water and expanding markets for water-saving commodities," Vilsack said in the release.
The agency will also offer up to $40 million in funding through the program for water conservation in Indian Country through a set-aside. More information will be provided "in the weeks ahead," according to the release.
American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall, in a release, said he "appreciates that USDA recognizes the unique challenges faced by our western farmers and ranchers and others."
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"Prolonged drought conditions have threatened the sustainability of farms and ranches, and infrastructure improvements and crop productivity investments are needed to help farmers make it through the tough times," he said. "We look forward to learning more about the investment, and we urge USDA to provide flexibility as they deploy these resources."
The districts receiving the funding, grouped by state, are:
Idaho: Black Canyon Irrigation District
Utah: Brooklyn Canal Company
Nevada: Truckee-Carson Irrigation District
California: Corcoran Irrigation District, Glenn – Colusa Irrigation District, Imperial Irrigation District, Solano Irrigation District; Sutter Mutual Water Company
Washington: East Columbia Basin Irrigation District; Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District
Arizona: Central Arizona Irrigation and Drainage District; Maricopa – Stanfield Irrigation and Drainage District
Oregon: Central Oregon Irrigation District
New Mexico: Elephant Butte Irrigation District
Texas: Hidalgo & Cameron Counties Irrigation District 9
Wyoming: Greybull Valley Irrigation District
Montana: Huntley Project Irrigation District
Colorado: Palisade Irrigation District
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