By Emmy Powell
Communications Specialist

Applications for the Texas Water Development Board’s (TWDB) 2025 Agricultural Water Conservation Grants are open through March 19.

Up to $1.5 million in grant funding is available for agricultural water conservation projects that improve irrigation efficiency, enhance resilience to weather extremes and climate variability, and promote innovation in agriculture.

“There’s no more water in production, so we have to make sure that we use the water we have efficiently, and agricultural producers are already doing that. So, we’re just there to lend a helping hand by giving them the financial resources to implement the strategies that they’re interested in,” Antonio Delgado, TWDB engineering specialist, told the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network.

Conservation programs and projects that support agricultural irrigation conservation strategies in alignment with the state water plan and demonstrate agricultural water conservation best management practices may apply.

Delgado noted funding can go to any agricultural water conservation project that will save producers water. Projects include infrastructure, drip irrigation meters for wells, pivot system improvements, soil moisture monitor sensors and beyond.

“Agricultural irrigation, water conservation is the least costly of all of the water strategies— costing only $181 per acre foot compared to four or five times that for other strategies,” Delgado said. “I think in the last 10 years, we’ve saved 580,000 acre-feet through this program.”

Programs and projects that have previously received grants have focused on irrigation efficiency, demonstrations and technology transfer, educational outreach and equipment cost share.

The program has been promoting agricultural water conservation efforts since 1985.

Projects that receive grants must adhere to the Texas Administrative Code Title 31, Chapter 367.

TWDB will be hosting the Master Irrigator program for additional learning on water conservation.

“Through the Master Irrigator program, they’ll learn about most up to date irrigation strategies or irrigation conservation strategies,” Delgado said. “At the end of the class, they’ll have the funding to be able to implement those strategies. That can be meters, irrigation system improvements, drip irrigation, soil moisture monitoring, and those are just the main ones, but there’s not really a limit to what we can fund as long as it’s going to save the producer irrigation water.”

More information about the Agricultural Water Conservation Grants program, previously funded projects and the application process is available on the TWDB website.