Seven agricultural water conservation programs from across Texas were awarded more than $525,000 in grants through the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) this month.
“The whole purpose of our Agricultural Water Conservation Program is to fund water conservation projects involving activities such as research, education, demonstrations and efficiency improvements,” Kathleen Jackson, member of the TWDB board, said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network.
TWDB has just approved the 2017 State Water Plan.
Jackson noted agriculture was well represented in the 16 regional water planning groups that put together strategies that support conservation.
“These projects that are part of this grant process will very much support the implementation of those irrigation and conservation strategies that the regional water planning groups came up with and are part of the 2017 State Water Plan,” Jackson said.
TWDB’s Agricultural Water Conservation Grant Program recipients include: Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin, which filed a joint application; North Plains Groundwater Conservation District; Hidalgo County Water Control and Improvement District No. 19; Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Chambers-Liberty Counties Navigation District; Texas A&M AgriLife Extension; and the Sutton County Underground Water Conservation District.
The grant recipients qualified in one of three categories: technical assistance, outreach, education and demonstrations; agricultural water use monitoring equipment; and/or, feasibility study for development of a statewide evapotranspiration network.
To date, TWDB has approved more than $100 million in grants and low-interest loans through this program.
“We’re excited to do more and kind of build on, if you will, our past success,” Jackson said.
TWDB is a state agency charged with collecting and disseminating water-related data, assisting with regional planning and preparing the state water plan for the development of the state’s water resources.
TWDB administers cost-effective financial assistance programs for the construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control and agricultural water conservation projects.