By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) is once again accepting applications for the Agricultural Water Conservation Grant program.

Improving irrigation efficiency, enhancing resilience to weather extremes and climate variability, promoting innovation in agriculture and improving soil health are all eligible projects through the grant program, according to Kathleen Jackson, TWDB board member.

“We know investment in these types of water conservation strategies, particularly from folks who have been engaged in the past, really bring about significant results. Those results impact everyone, not just the individual farmer,” she said in an interview with the Texas Farm Bureau Radio Network. “We tremendously depend on agriculture, not only here in Texas, but our farmers and ranchers also feed the nation and the world. So, to the extent that we can be more efficient in utilization of water, then that in turn helps us to provide the benefits of agriculture to everyone.”

Up to $1.2 million in grant funding is available for projects conducted in 2021 that promote water conservation in agricultural operations.

The funds are available to Texas state agencies and other eligible political subdivisions, such as groundwater conservation districts, groundwater improvement districts and regional river authorities. Applicants may partner with private businesses and individuals on the project if oversight is managed by the eligible entity, according to Jackson.

“We’ve had projects in the past that farmers take on and do and execute themselves and then share those results with their neighbors, that ‘boots on the ground’ approach,” she said. “It’s something that is actually occurring on the farm and out in the field and taking those strategies and those technologies and sharing them so that a broader group begins to be able to utilize them and to promote overall water conservation efficiency.”

Effective projects, such as planning and design on behalf of irrigation districts to improve efficiency and conservation, cost-sharing for farmers to implement moisture sensors and other conservation equipment and improvements to irrigation water delivery systems, have been approved in the past.

Field days, workshops and other activities hosted by the applicant to engage farmers and ranchers are encouraged activities, as well as providing technical assistance and administering technology transfer projects.

This year, Jackson noted there is an emphasis on soil health projects.

Since the agricultural water conservation program was implemented in 1985, Jackson said TWDB has provided more than $100 million in grants and loans for agricultural water conservation activities, resulting in a savings of nearly 600,000 acre-feet of water over the past decade alone.

“What we’ve seen with the agricultural water conservation program is that leadership across the agricultural community has made tremendous strides in terms of more efficiently using the very limited resources that we have,” Jackson said. “And we know moving forward, it’s going to be important to be able to continue with the type of agricultural products that benefit not only Texas, but the nation and the world.”

Applications are due by 2 p.m. on Feb. 10.

The full request for application and instructions on how to apply for the agricultural water conservation grants are on TWDB’s website.

Interested applicants may contact TWDB agricultural conservation staff at agconservation@twdb.texas.gov for more information.