Kansas Water Talk Series - 2017 Joel A. Willhoft, NRCS Resource Conservationist 785.624.3127 joel.willhoft@ks.usda.gov
NRCS Conservation Programs NRCS provides eligible producers financial assistance to address water quantity resource concerns through the following programs: Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
EQIP Funding Sources General EQIP Water Quantity Ranking Category Funding Approximately $2 Million Annually EQIP Ogallala Aquifer Initiative Funding Approximately $1.1 Million Annually
Water Quantity Ranking Category For General EQIP Statewide availability with funds allocated and applications ranked on an NRCS Administrative Area basis.
Ogallala Aquifer Initiative Availability is limited to priority decline areas and quick response areas within the Ogallala Aquifer.
EQIP Under EQIP General and the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative, financial assistance is provided for conservation practices on land that continues to be irrigated and where a net water saving will be realized. Examples include: Conversion from a flood irrigation system to center pivot irrigation system Conversion from center pivot to a subsurface microirrigation system Adoption of irrigation water management Adapting to crops that require less irrigation water
EQIP Financial assistance is also provided for Conservation practices on land that will be converted from irrigated land to dryland cropping rotations
EQIP Requirements Land must have been irrigated 2 out of the 5 previous years. Additional requirements for land that continues to be irrigated: 5 year Kansas Division of Water Resource (DWR) record history, to determine benchmark water use, and to ensure a reduction in water use Verification that water savings is not used elsewhere Installation of a state approved flow meter Net irrigation requirement, with 50% chance rainfall, for the crop grown No end guns or similar appurtenances Achieve NRCS Conservation Practice 449, Irrigation Water Management
EQIP-Conversion to Non-Irrigated Land 5 year DWR record history to determine benchmark water use and to ensure a reduction in water use Producer ensures proper wellhead protection Application priority is established for applications that: Achieve minimum use of 66% (irrigated acre divided by water right acre) Document an annual irrigation rate of greater than 8 inches/acre/year Are located in a state designated Quick Response Area.
CSP This program represents a commitment to conservation with a contract period of five years for payments that are based on the following two components: Payments to maintain the existing conservation based on the operation type and number of resource concerns that are meeting the stewardship level at the time of application Payments to implement additional conservation activities
CSP Water Conservation Activities Additional water conservation activities that can be contracted under CSP include, but are not limited to: Advanced Irrigation Water Management soil moisture monitoring and management Pumping Plant Evaluation for variable rate irrigation application Pumping Plant Evaluation rehabilitate/replace pumps to achieve higher irrigation efficiency
CSP Ranking Statewide availability with acres allocated and applications ranked on an NRCS Administrative Area basis.
RCPP /EQIP GMD 3 Agreement Advanced Irrigation Water Management on the High Plains Aquifer in Kansas RCPP/EQIP Agreement with Groundwater Management District 3 (GMD) and associated partners providing financial assistance through EQIP under a 5 year RCPP agreement. This agreement will promote advanced irrigation water management on eligible lands to improve irrigation efficiency in irrigated farming operations within the boundaries of all Ground Water Management Districts in Kansas. Funding is approximately $2 Million for the 5 year agreement period.
RCPP Availability is limited to irrigated land within the boundaries of Ground Water Management Districts in Kansas.
RCPP Eligible Conservation Practice Advanced Irrigation Water Management near real time soil moisture monitoring to make irrigation scheduling decisions. Typically soil moisture is determined by automated soil moisture monitoring stations equipped with telemetry data. Irrigation amounts are recorded from a flow meter near the pump. The telemetry data is automatically sent to a computer with irrigation management software.
RCPP Requirements Applications consist of full center pivot systems no larger or smaller than a quarter section of land in size Participants will hire the services of a crop consultant to provide technical assistance for real time irrigation water scheduling No end guns or similar appurtenances Pumping rate of at least 3.5 gal/min/ac will be supplied to each center pivot under application NRCS Irrigation Water Management Plan is required
NRCS Conservation Programs Feel free to contact your local field office staff for assistance and additional information regarding NRCS conservation programs that address water quantity resource concerns.
USDA s Nondiscrimination Statement Non- Discrimination Statement Non-Discrimination Policy In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with Disabilities Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To File a Program Discrimination Complaint To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.