By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is now accepting applications for ag water conservation grants.
Conservation among all water consumers is vital because of Texas’ booming population, TWDB board member Kathleen Jackson noted
“What we know is that people are moving to Texas every day. Depending on who you talk to, it’s anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 people, but what’s important about this is nobody’s bringing any water with them,” she said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “So, we have a growing need for water, and water for agriculture is extremely important, because agriculture benefits everyone in Texas.”
Up to $1.2 million in grant funding is available for the 2020 fiscal year—double the $600,000 allocated for the program in previous years.
“[The increase in grant funding] is tremendously important,” Jackson said. “We have traditionally had lots of requests from water districts to move forward with projects. I think, quite frankly, the Legislature recognized this and wanted to make sure that we had more capacity to be able to help them achieve their goals.”
The funding is available to Texas state agencies and other eligible political subdivisions, such as groundwater conservation districts, groundwater improvement districts and regional river authorities.
Proposals should be for ag water conservation projects that improve irrigation efficiency, advance soil health initiatives and promote innovation in agriculture by incorporating the latest water conservation technological advancements.
Applicants may partner with private businesses and individuals on the project, as long as oversight is managed by the eligible entity, according to Jackson.
Projects offering irrigation equipment cost-sharing opportunities or distributing soil moisture analyzers and automated controls to assist farmers and ranchers in managing water resources have been effective in the past, she said.
Field days, workshops and other activities to engage farmers and ranchers are also encouraged.
Technical assistance, demonstrations and technology transfer are also examples of water-saving approaches that were previously awarded grants.
“We continue to be a state that is in perpetual drought, punctuated by times of flood,” Jackson said. “So, to the extent that we can, we encourage technologies and those types of practices that promote water conservation, because we don’t always have a steady supply here.”
Selected projects that receive funding will help further water conservation and support conservation strategies identified in the state and regional water plans.
“In the last five years alone that we’ve been doing this program, we’ve achieved over 300,000 acre-feet of water savings,” Jackson said. “The investment has benefited not just districts but also individual producers and, by extension, those communities that depend so much on agriculture.”
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Cameron Turner, TWDB manager of Agricultural Water Conservation Programs, at 512.936.6090 or cameron.turner@twdb.texas.gov.
Funding recipients must submit annual reports, water use data and an estimate of actual water savings realized through the implementation of the project for a period of three to five years during the project.
Applications are due by 2 p.m. on Feb. 19.
The full request for proposals and instructions on how to apply are on TWDB’s website.